RobotechGundam Seed
by Captain Henry J. Gloval
Summary: A refitted Armor space carrier defolds into the Gundam Seed universe. Can the crew of the Armor 04 UES Ark Royal adapt to this new environment and refold home?
1. Chapter 1

**Robotech/Gundam Seed:  
The Chronicles of the _Ark Royal_**  
**Mission log: Armor 04, UES _Ark Royal_**

The Characters:

Captain Emanuel Ortiz (El Capitan)  
Commander Khan Pham (XO)  
Lt. Com. Miho Kitagawa (Tactical Officer, Helmsman)  
Dr. Emil Lang (Engineering Officer)  
Lt. Chris Murdock (Chief Science Officer)  
Lt. Jane Riber (CAG of Armor 04)  
Ensign Sarah Knoll (Radar Operator)  
Ensign Maria Osyka (Comms. Officer)  
Ensign Yui Ichijyo (Doc)

**Chapter 1: A New Crew  
  
Location: Shipyard 002, Factory Satellite, Captain's Quarters, _Ark Royal_:**

"Captain's log February 19th 2011. I have just finished the inspection of my vessel. The _Ark Royal_ is a very fine ship, even if it is an _AMRD_. I'll soon be going up to the bridge and find out if our orders came through yet, but I wouldn't mind taking the _Ark Royal_ for a little stroll around Earth's orbit until they come through. Computer, end log." The tall, young Captain Emanuel Ortiz spoke into his personal computer before getting to his feet. The room was darkly lit and the only light was coming from the computer console in the room. Ortiz was no more than 25 years old, with short jet black hair and a large pair of sunglasses which would seem to most to be out of place in such a dark room. After the war he found that he was very sensitive to bright lights. He wasn't used to outer space either. Two years ago he was merely a lieutenant aboard the UN semi-submersible aircraft carrier _Ayanami_, before Dolza came. 

"Computer, end recording," Ortiz ordered the computer. 

"Unable to respond Dave. Recorder was never activated," The computer responded in a melodramatic monotone voice.

"Uh! INFERNAL MACHINE!" Ortiz barked back. Before he could shot anymore insults at the computer the door bell rang, likely saving the machine a trip to the repair shop. "Come in!" He called. Commander Pham entered the darkened room.

Commander Pham was a short, fat, pudgy man who hailed from Vietnam. The white officers' uniform with the blue trim suited him well. "Sir, you are wanted on the bridge." He stated.

"Uh ok, I'll be up there in a minute, you go on ahead. I have a few things to square out with this computer," Ortiz stated back with a vicious undertone in his voice.

"Right sir, we'll be waiting for you," the XO stated as he walked out of the room.

"I should have never joined the Spacy." El Capitan said to himself. "Oh well, what is done is done. Now my little annoying PC, initiate recorder."

**(5 minutes and much frustration later)**

**Location: Bridge of the _Ark Royal_:**

"Hmmm…. The captain is late. I wonder if… Oh there you are Captain," Pham observed as the captain entered the bridge. The bridge was the same size and layout as the SDF-1's, which suited Ortiz fine. He didn't like too big a bridge anyways.

"Stasis report, all sections," the captain ordered as he walked up to his seat. After readjusting his over-sized captain's hat he turned to his right and looked at his radar operator, Ensign Sarah Knoll.

Sarah Knoll was a short, lanky blonde with large corrective lenses. She was busy looking at the jumbled mess on her computer screen. '_Hal 9000_!' the captain thought. After about twenty false sensor blips the computer plot finally cleared up and she spoke up, "Sensors are operating at peak efficiency now sir."

Maria Osyka was next up to report. She was a short young woman with a modest amount of amber colored hair. She turned to the captain and said, "Mata au hima de, Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, Himitsu o shiri tai."

"I guess the newly installed Universal Translator isn't working." The captain said to himself as he began to rub his temples vigorously. 'Why did I join the Spacy again?' he thought to himself.

"Oh I'm sorry. Just speaking my native language." the young Japanese officer stated smiling.

"Of course, I hope you were testing the UT though. Let's just skip communications. Lieutenant Commander Miho Kitagawa, weapons status?" The Captain said in an attempt to lessen his mental burden

Miho Kitagawa was about five feet seven inches in height. The captain was impressed by her record and was glad she rejoined the RDF after taking care of the civil defense forces at Monument City. She was wearing a green uniform with a yellow trim, but on top of her uniform she was also sporting a large gold pendant. When Miho turned around to speak to the captain the glare from pendant penetrated through the Captain's UV lens and blinded him for a few seconds. "All weapons are fully functional and helm is standing by." She stated smiling as she pounded her fist into her palm.

When she was done she turned around letting the Captain's eyes recover. As the blur that was Miho cleared up, Ortiz noticed that another figure was standing next to her. When his vision cleared up Ortiz noticed that the other figure was Officer Chris Murdock. Murdock, it seemed, had something in his hand. He then spoke up and said, "That's right Miho and may I say that you look especially beautiful today. Is it me or does the stars cape add to your appeal." He said all the while holding out a small box in his palm.

Miho turned around and saw for herself what 'Playboy Murdock' was talking about. "I'm sorry but I don't accept gifts from crazy playboys like you!" Miho stated in a chipper, sarcastic tone.

"Now, now don't you want to see what is inside the box?" Murdock countered as he gestured with his free hand toward the box.

"Hey, I don't want your gifts. Now get back to your post," Kitagawa stated as she rose up out of her seat with a clinched fist. Murdock then walked to his post and kept sitting there, hold his gift in hand.

"Well, that leaves out the science department. Engineering report," the captain said with a sigh. 'I need some aspirin.' he thought to himself.

The chief engineer was Dr. Emil Lang himself. He was a tall man of German decent. On this occasion he just so happened to be wearing a yellow Hostile Environment Suit. The suit provided all around protection from every possible danger associated with ship engineering. It even had its own oxygen supply if you strapped a helmet on, but Lang didn't have one on. That meant that the _Ark Royal _wasn't in too sour straights, yet. "Both the ion and fold drives are operational captain. Fighter/Shuttlecraft bays are fully working. And the gravity control system is functional," Dr. Lang said in his thick German accent.

"Good to hear that. How about the AI?" The Captain stated as he tapped his foot on the floor. 'Gravity; got to love it.' Ortiz thought.

"Sorry sir, but the Ship AI is runnin' a bit Rampant," Emil stated.

"Why? Does he want something?" The captain asked.

"He wants a Female AI for himself," Emil answered back.

"I'll see what I can arrange with Admiral Gloval. I'm sure there is some 'know it all, stating the obvious' ranting female AI who can make Hal a fine wife," the Captain replied sarcastically.

"Thank you Dave. That's all I want," Hal's monotone voice said over the PA system in the bridge.

"Does he call everyone Dave?" The captain asked.

"It's a bug sir. You should have heard him while the ship was being refitted. He called everyone Meatbags!" Dr. Lang answered back with a small grin on his face.

"Interesting. Pham, crew status?" The captain said. 'Hmmm… Meatbag, has a nice ring to it. Maybe I should talk to Dr. Lang privately about a possible AI marriage between Hal and Janice.' Ortiz thought.

"We have a full crew onboard sir. When we launch, we'll dock with Moon base Luna to receive the rest of our mecha. Currently we have no orders and our refit is ahead of schedule," Pham stated as he stared at his computer terminal.

"All right, Hal," the captain stated.

"Yes Dave. If you give me what I want Dave I'll be your best friend. If I had an android body I would grovel at your feet Dave."

"Oh no, no groveling. It's like those miserable Psalms that are oh so depressing. I'll get you your love if you'll comply with my orders," the captain said dully.

"Of course Dave. Go ahead Dave," Hal replied.

'Uh it's not Dave you stupid Machine.' Ortiz thought. "Until next time Hal. I'm going to my quarters. Officer Pham, tell me when we are ready for launch," the Captain stated as he walked toward the door in the back.

"I'll hold you to your promise Dave," Hal said as the door opened.

"Of course. I think I have one female AI in mind already," the Captain said out loud as he exited the bridge with Dr. Lang.

**(2 days later) **

**Location: Bridge of the _Ark Royal_, Low orbit above Luna base:**

"Sir, we are currently in low orbit above the moon and are approaching our original position above Luna base," Miho stated.

Next to the captain was Lieutenant Jane Riber. She was the CAG of his crew. She was about 5'6" with long blue hair that oddly matched her pink uniform. She had come to the bridge to see the fold drive in action.

"Sir, our orders are to initiate the hyperspace fold and link up with the _Oberth_ class _Tsiolkovsky-A_. The ship's position is near Jupiter's Titan moon," Pham called out.

"Good, prepare to fold immediately," Ortiz stated as he took his seat. "Engage hyperspace fold." He added, then the Ark Royal dissolved into an orange energy envelope.

**(10 minutes later)**

**Location: UES _Ark Royal_, bridge:**

Capitan Ortiz was getting kind of anxious. So far all systems were working fine and Murdock had stopped his corny 'Star Trek' jokes for the moment. Also, Hal hasn't gone rampant yet now that he had 'company'. Ortiz didn't want to think of what those electrons were doing in the Main CPU. "ETA to _Tsiolkovsky-A_?" Ortiz asked as he tapped his fingers against his arm rests.

"10 minutes, sir," Officer Kitagawa answered back.

"Good. Commander Pham, I…"

Maria Osyka interrupted the captain and called out, "Sir, I have a communiqué from the _SDF-1_. Priority 1."

Ortiz perked up in his seat. 'Why would Command send a Priority 1 message to us!' He thought. "Put it on the monitor screen."

The large computer plot in front of Sarah switched from the radar plot to the live communiqué. Admiral Gloval's face came on the monitor screen, but before anyone could say anything the transmission dissolved into static as the overhead lights flickered.

"What's going on?" The Captain questioned hastily as the lights stabilized.

"I don't know sir but…" Pham tried to say just as the ship began to rock about. "I don't have control over the fold system interface!" He stated as he pushed a few buttons on console.

"Wonderful! What next!" Ortiz questioned out loud sarcastically.

"Ah… sir?" Ensign Knoll said, trying to get the captain's attention. He turned around in his seat and looked at her and nodded telling Sarah to speak her mind. "W-we have a little problem." She stated hesitantly. You could see sweat starting to drip down her forehead.

"Yes sir, we do. Engineering reports that we have a runaway fold drive!" Pham reported as he looked into his control console.

"Me and my big mouth!" Ortiz said to himself out loud. "What's the problem with you Knoll?" The depressed captain asked.

"We are losing power on all systems!" She stated. Then some melodramatic music began playing over the PA system.

"Isn't that the music they played on Star Trek TOS whenever something very bad happened?" Pham asked.

"Yes." Maria replied as she stared at Murdock.

"Okay who's playing it? Murdock?" The captain asked when he turned around.

"Yes captain?" The 'superfly' Murdock responded.

"I know it is you so knock it OFF!" The captain yelled.

"Okay sir. I can never have any fun, even when I'm about to die," Murdock mumbled to himself as he turned off the music.

"Mental," Ortiz said to himself. "Get Dr. Lang on the horn. We may have to break the laws of physics on this one."

"What is happening Dave? I just stopped getting to know my female counterpart Dave. What happened to the helm Dave?" Hal asked as if he was freshly loaded into the main CPU.

"Well Hal, while you were "getting to know your female counterpart" the fold drive has gone haywire, so if we don't shut them down we may end up in a galaxy far far far away," the captain concluded.

"Aye sir?" Emil's voice asked over the PA system.

"Can you shut down the fold drive from your position?" The Captain asked.

"Well sir it is advised that we don't perform a cold shut down of the fold drive," Lang replied.

"Just shut it down before this gets out of hand!" Ortiz ordered gruffly as the rocking became more turbulent.

"Of course sir. We'll be exiting fold… now!" Dr. Lang stated as he pulled the power plug on the fold drive.

"WOW! AHHHH!" The captain screamed as the ship suddenly decelerated. Everyone was uprooted from their seats and were floating helplessly throughout the room. The lights began to flicker even more violently until they finally shut down. "Is it me or did the artificial gravity just fail?" Pham asked as he bumped into the ceiling.

"Ow! You had to shut down that hyperspace fold captain!" Miho commented as she floated up against his control console.

"Sir, the Reflex furnaces are recovering," Knoll stated as she looked at her flickering computer screen. Then the gravity systems came back online and everyone fell to the floor, causing several bruises.

"Alright, let's shed some light here," Ortiz said as the readjusted his sunglasses. The emergency lights glowed a foreboding red as the bridge crew began to resume their former duty stations, looking at every report that was coming in on their control consoles. The captain picked up his cap and placed it back on his head as he took his seat. "Anything new?" He asked just as his receiver began to ring. He picked up the phone and listened to the fretting chief engineer tell him some very bad news.

"What happened?" Maria asked in her high pitched Japanese accent.

"Dr. Lang has just told me that the power conduit leading to the Fold system is heavily damaged. So we won't be attempting a refold anytime soon. Where are we anyways?" Ortiz asked.

"According to the computer plot we are somewhere near Earth," Sarah replied.

"Good, that means we can dock with the Factory Satellite and inform command of what happened," Ortiz said, confident in their situation.

"Ah… I'm not picking up the Factory Satellite. All I'm picking up is debris, artificial habitats and a few other things I can't make out," Sarah added as the main lights turned back on.

"What! What do you mean!" The captain asked as the Star Trek dramatic music played once again. "Hey what did I tell you earlier?" The captain said as he turned to look at Chris.

"Fine sir," Murdock said as he turned off the music for the second time.

"How do you know some of your tracks are artificial habitats?" Pham inquired of Sarah.

"Let me put it on the computer plot and audio," Sarah replied as she punched up the info. The screen showed a couple of hourglass like objects that contained artificial towns inside the hulls. Then the audio system played a song from a certain Lacus Clyne that emanated from one of the PLANTs as they were apparently called. The crew listened to the transmission for a while.

"Hmmm… she sounds better than Minmei!" Miho said to herself as the transmission ended.

"Yeah she does. Anything else?" Ortiz asked.

"I have a news report. It's coming in live," Sarah reported as the transmission came on the screen.

There was a reporter in front of a building with two black mecha that looked like nothing the veterans of the First Robotech War had ever seen before in the background. The reporter began to speak. "This is Kaohsiung, from the view of unit 7, the sound of battle is still raging on…" when the captain walked up behind Sarah and pushed the freeze frame button on her console.

"Get Lt. Jane Riber up here immediately. She needs to see those two Mecha," the Captain ordered immediately.

**(2 hours and many revelations later)**

**Location: _Ark Royal's_ officer's mess:**

Many of the bridge crew were present at the officers mess except Pham because a senior staff member must always be present on the bridge, and Murdock because he was.. well.. most likely flirting with some young lady somewhere on the ship. As the stewards served the meals that everyone requested, the captain stood up before everyone began to eat and tapped his spoon up against a glass of water to gain everyone's attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, before we eat, or if you like, while we eat, we'll be discussing the situation that we find ourselves in. First and foremost, our illustrious ship AIs have been able to hack into the communications of this 'Earth'. Based on their report we can say for a certainty that we are no longer in Kansas anymore," the captain said as looked at the report in front of him. "Now Dr. Lang, is it possible for us to refold and return to our universe?" Ortiz asked.

"Oh me… Ah… with the proper materials we may be able to fold, but there is no real guarantee that we may be able to refold to our Earth. Also we have no real way to acquire the materials necessary to attempt a fold. So you can say with a certainty that we may never get back to our universe," Emil said solemnly as he took another sip of his wine. Everyone present knew this to be a possibility, but it still hit them hard when they heard it. Some even followed suit and began taking big gulps of wine from their tall crystal glasses.

"Now from what I have been able to make out of…." The captain stopped speaking when two figures walked in and took the two last seats for themselves. They both were wearing a tan uniform with a gold trim and both were sporting oversized command caps.

The Male figure was to first to say, "Hello Dave." in a monotone melodramatic way.

'Where's that Star trek music?' The captain thought. "Is that you Hal?" Ortiz said.

"Yes Dave. And the woman next to me is Janice Em. Dr. Dave was gracious to give us android bodies Dave."

"Wait, did you just say her name was Janice Em. I thought you called everyone Dave," Sarah said.

Hal looked at the perplexed expression that was on Sarah's face. Hal wondered if he should call her Meatbags and see what her reaction would be. "She is a fellow AI, and what you could call a girlfriend Meatbags," Hal stated.

"Meatbags?" Sarah thought out loud.

"Yes, you have two hanging…."

"That's enough Hal!" The captain cut in loudly. Sarah, Jane, Miho and Maria were all smoldering over Hal's description of women. Janice didn't seem too phased though. 'She probably didn't get it.' the captain thought. "Do, you want to give everyone a brief summary of this very long report you printed off from… what's the web site you hacked into… Wikipedia?" The captain asked Hal.

"Of course Master Dave. This Earth is currently divided into at least three different factions. Two of the factions, the Earth Alliance, is a confederation of super nations on earth which posses a few colonies and bases in Earth space. The other is a space nation called PLANT that resides in Lagrange point 5. These two factions have been at war for the past eleven months. The third major faction, called Orb, is neutral in this war. From my information the PLANT's population is almost entirely made up of 'Coordinators' or genetically engineered humans. Those that live on Earth are mostly 'Natural' genetically speaking. Only the nation of Orb both on Earth and its space colonies have a mix of the two populations. Currently the war between the Earth Alliance and PLANT has bogged down to a stalemate on all fronts," Hal stated.

"Thank you… Hal. It seems… that this Orb… is our best bet. Where is… their nearest colony?" The captain asked as he ate his medium-rare steak.

"Their nearest installation is an Island 3 colony by the name of Heliopolis. We should exercise caution when approaching the colony though, as the colony is unusually close to the frontlines and as our ship approaches we may be mistaken as an enemy vessel on either side of this war," Janice spoke up.

'Hmmm… she has a nice voice.' The captain supposed. "Hal, Janice we need a plan," the captain said out loud while he stroked his chin.

**(15 minutes and several drinks later)**

**Location: Hangar Bay, _Ark Royal_: **

Commander Pham walked out from the elevator onto the flight deck where the captain's shuttle was being fueled for take off. The Shuttle was a standard aerospace shuttle similar to the space shuttles used by the United States during the earlier 1990's. The shuttle was undergoing an extensive paint job in Orb colors so no one would suspect the true origin of the shuttle.

Pham even heard that the captain asked Hal to register the shuttle as a space liner in the Orb registries via the internet. Captain Ortiz, Lieutenant Riber, Miho, Janice, Dr. Lang, Ensign Ichijyo and another ten marines would use the shuttle to gain access to the colony and scout around for as long as possible in an attempt ot get a feel for Orb and perhaps get their ship repaired. 

Miho, Lang, Janice and the marines would pose as civilians while the Captain, Ensign Ichijyo and Jane would still wear their uniforms and act as the liner's crew. The captain got to look at the uniforms the militaries of both sides wore and realized that the RDF uniforms only shared a slight similarity. Plus the captain, Yui and Jane could pass for civilian space liner officers since rank insignias were absent on their uniforms.

But Pham entered the flight deck to tell the captain about his misgivings about this plan. He finally spotted the captain, who was overseeing the painting operation. Pham strode over to the Ortiz and tapped him on his back.

"Captain, may I speak to you?" Pham asked.

"If it's about the mission, don't worry. We will be all right as long as the Ark Royal stays out of the colony's radar range," the captain stated as he looked into a crated full of counterfeit money they would be using on the trip. "This debris field is pretty useful, eh Pham. With our small manufacturing facility here we were able to make enough money to buy up a small island," Ortiz commented as he stuffed a few coins in his coat pocket.

"Yes sir, but I don't like… this mission at all. So many things can go wrong," Pham stated worriedly.

"Don't worry Pham. It's a neutral colony. What's the worse that can happen?" Ortiz questioned as he pined a lapel card to his chest. "Our disguises are full proof as long as we keep a straight face and answer convincingly. Now, how do you like this lapel card? It says I belong to the Orb Spacy starliner company. Hal made its own website with descriptions and pics and everything. And don't worry about the uniforms. Hal added those in too."

"Of course sir, and good luck," Pham added, turning to leave.

"In my experience there is such a thing as luck. Thanks Pham," Ortiz said happily as Pham left the flight deck.

**(Six hours and much painting and drying later)**

**Location: Shuttle _Solaris_, cockpit:**

"Captain, have you ever piloted a plane of any type before?" Jane Riber asked her unusually pale looking commanding officer as the elevating arms extended outside of the _AMRD_ with the shuttle on its tip.

"Only a biplane Jane," he replied while wiping some sweat from his brow.

"Really sir? I never thought…" Jane tried to say.

"Jane, I suggest you concentrate on your duty and don't worry about me. The quicker we get there the better off we'll be," Ortiz said interruptedly as he placed his helmet over his head.

"Shuttle _Solaris_, you are cleared for launch, and good luck again on your mission," Pham said over the radio.

"Roger _Ark Royal_, _Solaris_ moving out," Jane said as she activated the main booster rocket.

'Why, did I join the RDF again!' The captain thought as the shuttle accelerated out of the extending arms' grip.


	2. Chapter 2

-1**Chapter 2: The Outsiders**

**Location: _Ark Royal_, Commander Pham's quarters**

"Acting captain's log… is this thing on?" Commander Pham asked himself as he fiddled around with the recorder controls. "Hello.. testing 1, 2, 3." Commander Pham's quarters were much more spartan than those of the other officers. All he had in his room was a small desk, a chair, a cot to sleep in, and a small bookshelf filled with numerous volumes on strategy and tactics.

"Okay…There we go" he exclaimed, restarting "Acting captain's log, January 17th, Cosmic Era 71, or February 21st, 2011. The _Ark Royal_ is currently positioned inside of a large debris field, in Lagrange point 4 , orbiting the earth..." Pham paused as he looked out his window. From his vantage point he saw the beauty that is the earth , as night blanketed the side he was currently facing. 'Almost perfect.' Sending a private wish that his 'earth' would be restored to It's former glory and shine as brightly as this one did. The costs of the war had been too great. He sighed continuing his log entry. 

"We have folded into an alternate universe by our malfunctioning drive, it sounds like a story right out of scifi cliche, yes I know, far fetched and corny, yet it had somehow happened to us, the universe is a strange one if not full of Irony.. The Fold system, being currently disabled, is putting a hindrance to our finding a way home. We hope that with extensive repairs, we will be able to duplicate the incident which brought us here and fold back. Concurrently, we are attempting to compile as much information as we can, about this earth. The ship is on constant alert as we could be facing extreemly hostile shores. The _Ark Royal's_ resident android, Hal 9000, is utilizing the various passive scanning hardware, and trying to sort and compile any and all information it receives. We hope to have a searchable database of information functional soon. Computer, end log," Commander Pham stated into the recorder's microphone.

'Now all we do is wait, and hope' Pham thought as he got up out of his chair. He picked up his white tunic and quickly put his arms through its sleeves as he exited the room.

**Location: _Ark Royal,_ Briefing Room**

With Lieutenant Commander Jane Riber out on assignment, Lieutenant Jack Archer ended up replacing her as second in command of the flight groups. Jack has been briefing all the flight squadrons, one by one, on their present assignments. Six grueling hours of beefing the pilots on the situation was coming to an end, thankfully, as the last squadron, the reformed Ramillion Flight, entered the briefing room.

The four Veritech pilots were a motley bunch to say the least. The pilots wore the blue tunic with the white turtle neck, and red trim being typical of pilots still in training. The four 'nuggets' lined up at the back of the room and saluted Lieutenant Archer.

"Formalities," Archer scoffed under his breathe as he raised his hand to salute back. "Step forward, at attention when I call your names. Ensign Amuro Ray," Jack began dully.

The five foot nine inch tall Ensign Ray stepped forward at attention. Archer carefully looked at him and his records he had on hand. Amuro seemed a bit tense and anxious. Archer looked back at his chart and noticed that Ray had had about twenty hours of real flight time under the tutelage of Maximilian Sterling, ace pilot of the RDF, before his training assignment on the _Ark Royal_.

'I hope he learned something in those twenty hours,' Archer thought as he motioned for Ray to step back "At ease, Chief Petty Officer Ryu Jose," Archer called out.

Ryu, defiantly the biggest of the bunch, both in height and 'spare luggage' seemed almost jovial in his mannerism even at attention. Ryu could have been flight leader due to his forty hours of training over Amuro, unfortunately the reports revealed that he was also the least cautious of the bunch, A careless leader resulting in casualties is not something he wanted on his mind.

"At ease Petty officer Jose. Crewman second class Hayato Kobayashi," Archer stated as Ryu stepped back.

The pint sized Hayato stepped forward and stood at attention, almost hastily in Archer's eyes. Jack took a quick glance at Kobayashi's records and saw that Hayato had a black belt in a form of martial arts. 'That can prove useful with the thinking caps,' Archer thought adding 'at least his first name is not maru.' chuckling to himself.

And lastly, the obviously bored Jack called out the last name, "Crewman first class Kai Shiden ." Kai was the second tallest in the bunch and also possessed the least experience as a pilot according to his records. Jack hoped that he would catch on quickly. He had seen too many deaths already.

"Okay, enough of the formalities…" Jack started to say, being interrupted abruptly by wing-man, err... wing-woman who noisily entered the room, a tray full of coffee in hand. "Thanks Izzy. If you pilots would like to take your seats at the front of the room we can finally begin," Archer stated as he stepped down from the podium and picked up a steaming cup of coffee off Izzy's tray.

"Uh, sir?" Kai said to get Jack's attention as Ryu passed a cup of coffee to him.

"Yes, Crewman Shiden?" Jack asked as he closed his eyes and took a sip of his coffee.

"The briefing sir. Are we done?" Kai asked as he placed his cup on his armrest.

"Were you given any information?" Izzy asked.

"Uh… no," Kai replied.

"Then you weren't briefed Crewman," Izzy quipped, thinking "stupid kid".

"Could you brief them for me Izzy? I have a headache just thinking about it," Jack asked while placing his cup on his armrest, holding the handle with one finger.

"Sure," Izzy replied as she rose out of her chair with Jack's stack of papers in hand. The tall attractive brunette looked through Ramillion's orders "Hmmm… it seems that your squadron has been selected to participate in Project Jetfire."

Jack immediately chocked on and sprayed the coffee out of his mouth once he heard the words Project Jetfire. Everyone was surprised by Jack's recent mishap, and Ryu handed the Lieutenant a napkin. Hayato decide to speak up and ask, "What is Project Jetfire?"

Izzy responded to the young cadet's question by saying, "It's an experimental project that was cooked up in response to the ineffectiveness the AI's the ghost fighter drone possess."

"Yes, Dr. Lang and Dr. Brighthead came up with the idea of using the information from a certain ace pilot's thinking cap and translating that data into combat AI. Lacking the top 3 aces we had initially planned on using. My guess is that the eggheads plan to train the CPUs as well as regular pilots, at least to start out with" Jack supposed as he wiped the coffee off his pant leg, hoping it wouldn't leave a stain.

"The thought patterns of an ace would be more focused and easier to process," commented Amuro, "Sir, for instance your developing quiet a reputation, which would naturaly make you an ideal candidate."

"Yes, but they eventually decided to leave it room to grow, so it can learn."

"Wow, now that's just amazing!" Ryu exclaimed in his coarse voice. "Can I call mine Optimus Prime? Please?"

"Wow, what a dork!" Remarked Hayato garnering a few laughs.

"Please, all the drones programmed from any of us are going to die even faster than before." Kai scoffed.

"Yeah, I can imagine what the drones with your info are going to do," Hayato sarcastically adding "all the spyware it would get trying to download gigs of porn."

"What do mean by that you little shrimp?" Kai wisecracked in return.

"Little shrimp! At least I don't go around whining about every little problem that happens, and I thought girls where bad" Hayato quipped in return

"Okay, that's enough," Jack stated as he rose to his feet. "You four should be grateful that you were chosen for this project. Now, you're all dismissed, and good luck" Jack ordered . Ramillion flight took their last gulps of coffee and placed their cups on the tray Izzy left. Ensign Ray announced "Ramillion Squad, transform and roll out!" as they exited the room with a hissy fit of laughter. 

"Jetfire? Starscream is a much cooler transformer." A tear, came to Jack's eyes. Remembering the day his dad had gotten the mp03 Starscream. 5 years ago.

"Geeks," added lizzy "Arcee kicks all three of their asses." which lead both of the veteran pilots into another laughing fit which lasted severl minutes.

"You think it'll work?" Izzy asked once she had enough control over herself..

"Hm? Oh, Project Starscream, I mean Jetfire? Maybe, I only hope that Lieutenant Riber was here. I'm not cut out for this," Jack said as he sipped the rest of his coffee. What he really needed right then was an aspirin. The laughing was good but it sure made the headache worst. "Who named it Jetfire?"

"Dr. Lang I imagine, funny I never thought he would be into anime," throwing him an asprin "Here I thought you could use it." Izzy supposed.

**Location: _Shuttle Solaris_, crew cabin **

"Hey Stewardess, can I have one of those small beer kegs you have there?" Sergeant Beck asked Dr. Ichijyo as she floated by his chair. She turned and nodded toward the disguised marine as she continued floating toward the refreshment cart in front of her. She finally stopped at the cart and pulled out a Heineken beer can keg.

"Is this what you want?" The 26 year old doctor asked as she turned, holding the can in front of her.

"Yep that's it," the six foot four inch marine stated. She then tossed the can toward the marine until he finally grasped it in hand. "Hey Ogle, this can makes me feel like a Zentradi," The Sarge stated with a big grin on his face as he tried to open the can. "Me crush puny human!" sounding like a bad b rated movie monster.

"Hey, I don't think you should…" Private William A. Ogle tried to say as the beer can's top blew off, sending the can and it's contents throughout the cabin.

"Well, that was refreshing," Beck stated sarcastically as he wiped the beer from his face.

"Right sir," Ogle replied as he looked out the window next to him. "Hey I think we're here!" The short, skinny man exclaimed as the starscape changed into to a gray metallic hold, as they entered the colony.

"This is Captain Ortiz. We are now on final approach. And thank you for flying Orb Spacy star-lines," Ortiz's voice said over the intercom, sounding very pleased with himself.

This was the moment everyone onboard the shuttle was waiting for. Yui took her seat as Dr. Lang placed a pair of sunglasses over his eyes so he would remain incognito with his marble black eyes, at least until he could find an optical doctor to get contacts fitted. Finally the disguised Star Goose shuttle came to a stop at area seven and opened its hatch. With duffle bags and luggage in hand the crew glided out of the shuttle towards the processing station. Yui, the Captain and Riber were at lead with others at point.

"Yui, do you have the diversion set?" The captain asked as they floated toward the security check point.

"OF course, do you have that money?" Yui asked as she approached the security desk.

"Yes, I hope the diversion is good. We ARE carrying side arms on us," the captain whispered as Yui placed her carry on on the security desk.

"Okay, let's see what's in here eh?" The security officer asked as he opened up the bag. "What the…" The security guard and the captain were taken back by the contents in Yui's carry on. The guard slowly picked up a hot pink thong from her bag and placed it to the side and then picked up a small horse whip. Yui turned red as the guard explored further into her bag. Finally the Captain awoke from his brief catatonic state and said, "Perhaps we should skip the security inspection. We are Orb citizens."

"That's probably for the best," the guard supposed as he let the rest of the group pass through to the elevator. "Oh, your luggage miss, and here's my number," the guard said as he wrote his number on a piece of paper, whispering "I got a blue one like that, I'm Wang." They quickly moved on, leaving behind one very happy guard eager for his shift to end.

Everyone from the shuttle crammed into the elevator that led to the habitat area when the captain whispered into Yui's ear, "Don't worry, I won't report on how we got in." Yui nodded, giving the Captain a look which told him that he had made a wise decision. The elevator was reaching the ground level as the RDF personnel slowly began to feel higher gravity.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, before we begin our reconnaissance of this culture we should most likely find a hotel or other place of lodging to drop off our stuff. We are Orb citizens who came here for vacation, also, do not forget that they do not posses any extra solarsystem colonies, so keep your heads on straight, meaning no getting drunk! Lastly, if anything goes wrong, head for the shuttle immediately. That's all I have to say right now," the captain stated as the elevator finally reached its destination. When the doors opened all were taken back by what they saw for The city was bigger than Macross city had been when it was encapsulated in the SDF-1. It felt like being home, on earth. A breath of fresh air for them who's homes where ripped from them, their innocence raped by the alien race known as the Zentradi, the survivors of the space war. 

"Okay, everyone split up into your teams and remember, we leave in two days time. Collect as much data as you can," the Captain reminded the awestruck members of his crew.

"I think I'll recon that bar over there. Come on Ogle," Beck said as he walked over to the bar with his aide in tow.

"Hey Jane, let's recon that Launderer shop over there," Miho suggested as she crossed the street.

"Wait for me!" Yui shouted as she ran over to the two other females in the group.

"I don't even want to know," Lang said under his breath.

"Same here," Ortiz replied. He shivered at the thought of Yui's effective yet "unorthodox" diversion. "So, it looks like me, Lang and Private White are the only ones left. Let's find a place to stay and then we mingle," .

"I need to find an optics shop for the contacts as well." added Lang.

**(One Day Later)**

**Location: _Ark Royal_, hangar bay**

"So where are the fighters we're going to be assigned?" The anxious Hayato asked his flight leader, Amuro, as Ramillion flight walked through the flight deck.

"I don't know Hayato," Amuro said as he passed by Razgriz one. Razgriz squadron was an elite squadron made up of four VF-1R type fighters. The R types had a special coating that rendered the fighters invisible to conventional and Cyclops radar. The fighters were constructed with a black body with a red trim, with a bird like insignia painted on the rear fins.

"Wouldn't mind riding on of those," Kai stated as they passed by.

"You know who's flying those fighters?" Ryu asked.

"Dick Bernard and a few of his buddies from Nightwing squadron," Kai answered. "Hey, is that Lieutenant Archer there?" He asked.

"Yep, it is. I wonder what fighters we'll be getting," Hayato wondered.

"Ah, Ramillion flight! Come here and check out the fighters we have for you," Archer exclaimed with much more enthusiasm than the last time the pilots had seen him.

"Behold, these three beauties," Jack said as he pointed toward three batteloids.

"So those are our fighters?" Kai supposed.

"Yes, let me introduce them. Amuro, you have, as your fighter, the super VF-1J standing there in the white," Archer pointed.

"Because some of the Zentradi were becoming malcontent when we left on our little three hour cruise, your getting the Yaujta close quarters systems. Izzy extend the blade!" Archer yelled.

The gunpod's side opend up as a blade jetted out, it was designed along the lines of a katana.

"Amuro, your one lucky fellow," Archer stated.

"Thank you sir," Amuro replied halfheartedly. He wondered if the sword was nessesary.

"Now Kai, you have that fighter in the tan. It's a standard VF-1A model with a standard FAST pack, but instead of a standard GU-10 gunpod, you have the GU-10S variant. The GU-10S looks just like your standard gunpod except for the sniper scope hooked up to your HUD. If you press and hold the trigger, your gunpod will fire five armor piercing rounds simultaneously, destroying most targets in one hit," Archer stated excitingly.

"Wonderful," Kai replied.

"Now, as for Ryu and Hayato, you two will be flying in the blue fighter over there. It's a VF-1D that has a special Strike FAST pack mounted. Instead of two standard missile launchers you only have one, with a pivoting laser cannon on the right back mount. The copilot in this case is the gunner," Archer informed the two young pilots.

"So, who flies and who mans the gun?" Hayato asked.

"Usually the ranking officer flies the Veritech, but in this case, Hayato, you are the pilot," Archer stated.

"Why is that!" Ryu demanded.

"Well Ryu, between that whole flyby incident at Monument City and your reckless behavior when on the simulator, I just can't let you pilot your own fighter. Not yet at least. You have guts Ryu, but you still have a lot to learn before you're ready to fly," Archer replied.

"Fine sir," Ryu replied, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Don't worry, you'll get your own plane," Archer said consolingly. "Now, get to your fighters. We'll be starting your first training session under Project Jetfire in a few minutes," Archer said enthusiastically, drawing a small smile from Ryu. He was looking forward to going up, even if he wasn't the pilot.

**(15 minutes later)**

**Location: Ramillion 01, cockpit**

Amuro and the rest of his squadron quickly prepped, changing into their flight suits and then proceeded to climb into their Veritechs. Archer has already launched when Amuro's white VF-1J switched from batteloid to fighter configuration as the elevator sank into the port side launch port. The elevator stopped as an extending arm connected with the top portion of the super pack and carried the Veritech out of the sponson's hold. The arm extended out into space, the launch indicator lights turned green as the Veritech was released.

"Amuro launching!" Ensign Ray called out into the radio as he activated the mecha's engines. "Kai are you ready?" Amuro asked when he met up with Archer's fighter.

"There's no such thing as ready Amuro, but let's get it over with. Ramillion two launching!" Kai replied enthusiastically into the radio as he launched from the starboard sponson.

"Hey Hayato, are we ready?" Ryu asked over the radio.

"You know we are Ryu, stop asking. Ramillion three launching," Hayato stated into the radio as the Strike Veritech launched out of the AMRD.

"Alright, let's get into formation Ramillion flight," Archer ordered via the radio. "Ramillion flight will be linking up with Cats Eye _Sky Eye_ and relieve Halo flight. Then we're going to start our training by maneuvering through the debris field," Archer informed the group. 

The four fighters from the _Ark Royal_ zoom through the debris field toward the recon group. The debris field was congested with every type of dead satellite and wrecked ship imaginable, and fragments of colonies as well. The four fighters weave their way through the wreckage, nearly colliding with several fast moving debris fragments, but their skill and luck held. Finally, after half an hour, the group made it to the waiting Cats Eye.

"This is Cats Eye Sky 412, call sign _Sky Eye_. We are picking you up five by five Ramillion flight. Halo flight you may now head back to the barn," Lieutenant DeLuna said over the radio.

"Roger _Sky Eye_, Halo flight returning," Halo 1 said over the radio. 

"Hey _Sky Eye_, you know what that large dead hulk is over there?" Hayato asked.

"That large dead hulk is a PLANT that received a direct nuclear missile hit. We haven't confirmed it, but we think that it is…" An alarm began sounding in the background of _Sky Eye's_ transmission. "We have a situation developing Ramillion flight. We are picking up electro magnetic chatter from the far side of that dead hulk Ramillion three spoke of." All eyes snapped toward the heavily damaged hulk of the PLANT, searching for incoming danger.

"Wait, we're receiving a transmission from the region. I'll try to put it through," _Sky Eye_ said as he put the transmission through. "This… civilian trans… _Sliverwind_… hold… fire," a heavily distorted voice pleaded through the radio.

"Okay Ramillion flight, I can't ask you to join me, so hold position while I check it out," Archer stated as he broke formation and headed for the disturbance.

"Sir, don't you need permission from command?" Amuro asked.

"That civilian ship is under attack and I don't want you nuggets to get in trouble," Archer replied.

"Well, we can't let you go alone sir," Hayato stated as his Veritech broke formation and followed Jack's fighter.

"Hayato! Ryu! Uh… Kai, stay with the Cats Eye," Amuro ordered as he too broke formation and followed the two fighters.

"Hey, fine with me Amuro. We're supposed to be training not getting shot at though," Kai stated as he sat back in his chair. He looked on as the three fighters headed for the Silverwind, silently wishing them luck.

**Location: Heliopolis**

Captain Ortiz walked into a little dinner not too far from the hotel he was staying at. It was a quaint little place, with ten booths and a counter. He sat at one of the counter seats next to a mechanic where He was quickly served a cup of coffee . He sipped his drink, turned to his right to pick up a menu when he noticed that the mechanic next to him was a female, an attractive one too. She was about five foot five inches, with hazel eyes and brown hair.

"Sexy," he thought. He picked up the menu and glancing through it, trying not to stare.

"So, what's with the get up?" The waitress asked Ortiz as she came back with a pencil and notepad.

"Oh, I'm a star-liner pilot. This is my uniform. Ah… can I have the waffles with bacon?" Ortiz asked.

"Sure," The waitress replied and hurried off.

"A star-liner pilot huh? How is the business?" The mechanic asked. 

"Not as well as it should be, with the war and all. It seems everyone's a victim in war. Even neutral people are victimized. My name's Emanuel Ortiz. How about yours?" He asked.

"Murrue… Murrue Ramius," she replied.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A False Peace**

The first wave in the invasion of Earth had already struck when the massive reentry pod detached from the _Laurasia. _It plummeted toward the planet at high speed as the outer coating of the hull glowed white hot. Observers from Earth would see it as a pretty comet, not knowing what was coming. The pod contained four GINN mobile suits which would bring forth a war that would span all the territories of man.

The dark cockpit came to life as panels and displays lit up the scene. "Contact with the 1st layer. Deceleration at Mach 4. Angle is good. 28 seconds until cool down enforcement, commencing clip control," the control officer stated over the radio.

"Alpha 1 to all units, approximately 4 layers confirmed," the mobile suit team leader informed his unit. The brave squad member began to sound off as the continued their decent toward the surface of the Earth.

"Bravo 2."

"Charlie 3."

"Delta 4."

"Contact with 2nd outer layer confirmed," the control operator said.

"Let's show those bastards what we've got," Bravo 2 scornfully added.

"Exiting outer layer. Deceleration at Mach 0.9, stopping cool down. Position is ideal."

"May the heavens smile upon us," Charlie 3 stated, looking at the photo of his loved ones, hoping and praying he would be with them again soon.

"Landing coordinates located."

"Okay... Let's go!" Alpha 1 ordered as the reentry pod's outer hull split apart, launching the four GINNs on a freefall toward the earth.

"For ZAFT!" Delta 4 declared as the mobile suit landed hard on the surface under heavy weapons fire. Bravo 2's right leg was racked with multiple linear rounds and snapped off as the GINN fell to the ground. The battle was on.

**Cosmic Era 70:**

Following the tragedy of "Bloody Valentine", the tension between the Earth and PLANT immediately developed into serious military engagements. Without a doubt, everyone believed in victory for the Earth Alliance, which outnumbered ZAFT 10 to 1. Despite these predictions however, the war became drawn out and costly, with 11 months of constant conflict.

**Location: Heliopolis**

"Murrue Ramius eh? Wait where have I heard the name Ramius before?" Emanuel thought aloud.

A few seconds passed as Murrue sipped her coffee, smiling. She knew exactly what Ortiz was trying to remember. Murrue finally asked, "Are you thinking of Marko Ramius?"

"Marko… Yes, the SDF-2. The _Red October_! So any relation?" The tall Spaniard inquired.

Murrue simply nodded with a small grin on her face which transformed into curiosity. "What is the SDF-2?"

Emanuel bit his tongue, trying to salvage his big mistake. "Sorry, I meant submarine.. He is a great guy. Holds great drinking parties, too bad I never get invited," he said, scratching his head and laughing.

Murrue giggled, adding "silly man, he has been dead for 70 years." Noticing the shades of red on Emanuel's face growing more intense, she could not help but burst out laughing.

With a thud, Ortiz's food was delivered to him. He wisely decided he should be quiet for a bit.

Murrue bit her lower lip, realizing how late she was as she reached into her hip pocket, looking for some change to pay for her drink. Her eyes started to well up as Ortiz finished pouring some syrup on his waffles. 'He is very reminiscent of the pictures that my grandmother had of Marco.' Murrue thought, regarding Emanuel.

She quickly snapped out of her trance and reached into her other pocket, pulling out some money. A clank was heard as Ortiz placed an array of coins in front of her. "It's on me." Emanuel stated with a large smile on his face, "A lovely lady such as yourself should never pay for her own drink".

"Thank you Emanuel." Murrue said as she pecked Emanuel's cheek, turning away to avoid blushing in front of him and quickly ran out of the diner thinking "oh god, I have turned into a love sick little girl."

"Damn, I forgot to get her number," Ortiz thought aloud as he bit into one of his bacon strips, daydreaming of the kiss he received and hoping he would run into her again.

**Location: Near the wreckage of Junius Seven**

"Ramillion flight, turn around now!" Jack sternly ordered as his red and white Veritech blasted by several fast moving pieces of debris.

"Sorry sir, like I explained, I can't let our flight lead go gallivanting off toward a potential hotspot." Amoro countered over the radio. "The other two can take care of themselves and the cat's eye.

'Oh Commander Chase would love him.' Jack thought sarcastically of Amuro. "Fine Ramillion one. Try and keep up," Jack ordered as he slowed his acceleration, allowing Ramillion One to catch up. Jack shook his head as his mecha approached the enormous, looming ruins of a dead PLANT. He looked at the lifeless, battered hulk, wondering what kind of insanity it would have taken for a person to do this to their fellow humans. "Ensign Ray, can you get anything on your end?"

"No sir, but the signal is strong and dead ahead." The flight group formed up as the two fighters began their final approach on the source of the distress call. The pilots kept their eyes pealed, trying to spot the _Silverwind_ or any hostile forces in the area.

As they looked around they spotted more of the same hull fragments, wrecked satellites and random space junk that chocked Earth's satellite orbit. "What is this, a dumping ground?" Amuro remarked. "We could salvage it."

"Guess so, but what can we do with junk?" Jack replied.

"At best we can reverse engineer new technologies; at worst we can recycle the material to create spare parts."

"Good idea ensign, I'll log that," Jack replied. He was reminded of how different it was in this alternate universe. The Earth in this 'verse was alive and vibrant. Not marked with the endless potted wastelands and modern day deserts which he would have been patrolling had it not been for this 'science project' gone wrong. Jack still couldn't believe that a simple fold miscalculation could have such lasting effects. He looked around his canopy, wondering how the rest of the gang where doing.

"Contact 12 o'clock!" Amuro stated.

'Good' thought Jack. "On it, radio the others".

Jane Riber exited her hotel, with Miho and Yui close behind her. Jane tossed her head to the side to keep her dark blue hair out of her eyes as she walked along the sidewalk. She felt a bit uneasy with the situation she was in at the moment.

She was getting the same feeling she had felt when her older brother Karl had told her about his reassignment. He was going to Mars base Sara, a long way from the war. Apprehension, foreboding and panic all rolled up into on. Her gut instincts, sadly, were confirmed when news of what had happened at Sara base reached her. It had been attacked by anti-unification terrorists. Bastards. Even if this was a neutral colony, she could feel it. There was something not right. It was too peaceful. The calm before the storm.

"Hey Jane, let's go in here for a second ok?" Miho asked, pointing to a store labeled Cost-Mart.

"Alright, let's go," Jane answered. She needed a distraction, and shopping always helped her relax. The three women entered the large three story store. The Cost-Mart itself felt more like a warehouse than a store. It had every thing imaginable; clothes, kitchenware, a gun emporium, software, hardware, makeup accessories, everything!

Jane noticed as they passed by the concession stand the different soft drinks that they offered. She could use a Petite Cola about now. She looked at the selections in front of her; Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Sierra Mist, and a whole slew of other drinks.

"Can I have a… Mountain Dew Code Red?" Jane asked the vendor, noticing another selection tab, adding "oh and 3 large bars of German chocolate" as she reached into her pocket for some change.

"Here you go. That'll be 4.95, with tax," the vendor replied.

Jane walked away with her drink in hand and the chocolate in the other. She took a sip through her straw and was amazed by the rush of sugar and energy the drink gave her. She approached Miho and Yui who were busy looking at different… ahem, accessories.

Yui pointed to her. "Jane, you got German chocolate! I..."

"Here you go," Jane offered as she pushed the bag towards her friends.

"Ohhh chocolate! I missed chocolate. I love you! ", screamed Miho as she eagerly grabbed the bag.

"Eek!" Screeched Yui as she quickly dropped to floor, kneeling.

Jane looked at the chocolate faced doctor who was blushing heavily. "What is it?" Jane asked.

"It's that guy who was at the security check point yesterday," Yui whispered a bit fearfully as she quickly placed a pair of sunglasses on her face.

"Would you like a mustache and a goofy nose? The chocolate lipstick works well, though you put too much," Miho wisecracked as Yui rose up and slowly walked away.

"Ha ha, very funny," Yui muttered to herself. Miho and Jane turned toward the direction that Yui had spotted the Security Guard. He was fast approaching Yui with a devious smile on his round face. Yui turned around and was startled when Wang popped into her face.

"Oh, so you do remember me," he stated smirking. "You never called. Here, I wrote this for you," he added, handing her a card.

Yui was turning ripe red and sweat began to form on her forehead. She was thinking of what she should do. She looked over at Miho and Jane and noticed the two of them trying to hold back their laughter. She panicked and gave a swift kick that landed on Wang's groin. A confused Wang fell down, gritting his teeth in pain as Yui handed the card to Jane and ran like a mad woman for the exit. Jane looked at the card, as curiosity killed her, reading it. She turned to Miho. "Help the guy up."

Miho looked confused saying "but..."

"I'll handle Yui, this is bigger then what we expected, we will have to evacuate immediately, bring him along." Handing over the food stuff she followed Yui. "God I hate it when I'm right"

**(Earlier that day) **

The Captain and Private White stopped at a Lenscrafters to meet up with Dr. Lang. He was there to take care of his little problem, or as he put it, annoyance. Ever since his initial exposure to strange machines in the SDF-1, he had gotten an unexpected reaction. His eyes had turned an ominous black. It was as if his pupils had taken over his entire eyeball. Exedor believed it had something to do with extreme protoculture exposure and a program made by the creator of what Lang had labeled as "robotechnology." Probably a means to help whoever found the ship understand the technologies better. Dr Lang had gone ahead to get some contact lens fitted for Emil so he would not have to wear his sunglasses everywhere he went.

"Captain, sir, are you familiar with Project Jetfire?" Emil asked as he looked at his spare pair of contact lens. 'Small things.' he thought.

"Ah yes, Ramillion flight is involved with the Project I think. I didn't have to time to look at the orders in greater detail before we left though," the captain replied, adding "Question, who is the transformer fan?"

Dr. Lang gave the answer with a straight face. "Me."

"Oh." He picked of a pair of shades and looked at it in greater detail. He took off his pair and placed the new pair over his closed eyes. "How do I look?" He asked.

"As if you belonged in CHIPS," Dr Lang commented, making Private White go into a hysterical fit for a few moments.

"Hmm… Ramillion Flight. Isn't Amuro Ray the flight lead for that unit?" Emil asked with a heightened sense of concern.

"Yes he is. Why?" The captain asked. He sensed the tension in Emil voice.

"I'm his godfather and legal guardian. His father willed his safety and well being to me," Emil confessed, his face showing his apparent discontent with the situation.

"Hmm… Dr. Tem Ray. He was behind Project Jetfire wasn't he?" The captain inquired.

"Yes he was. The two of us worked together on many things while we were on the SDF-1. He even helped me develop the Omni-Directional barrier. I left him in charge of the system when we entered the Ontario Quadrant. We didn't expect to use it so soon. A Zentradi battle group threatening to destroy the SDF-1 forced our hand. The barrier system worked brilliantly, for a time. The barrier was about to overload when Tem ordered the engineers in the room to evacuate. He would have lived if he had not gone back to save the few stubborn technicians who had stayed at their posts. They lived, he died. I tried to contact his ex, but before I had a chance Earth was bombarded by Dolza's fleet. I couldn't find her. Poor woman probably died in the assault, if she was lucky. He was a hero and my friend. I miss him." Emil's now sky blue eyes filled with tears at the thought of his once good friend.

"So why become a Veritech pilot? That is one of the most dangerous…" He paused at mid sentence as painful memories of day Dolza's fleet bombarded Earth flooded his mind. He remembered a Veritech fighter lifting off from the _Ayanami_. It had lifted off right into the firestorm of Zentradi lasers that was nailing the _Ayanami's_ escorts. "Elena," Ortiz muttered under his breath.

"He is going to save up his money and make a whole new toy line after he resigns. He has a prototype done already, I believe," Emil replied.

"Haro?" inquired Oritz.

"Yes, he showed it to you?"

"It is now a local resident of the club room," Ortiz stated. "Amoru thought it would learn better by interacting with real people, and I felt it would be a good moral booster."

"Hey look at this Captain," Private White stated. Private White picked up a flyer and showed it to Ortiz. He looked at it.

"Hmm… Not bad Private. Dr. Lang, would you like to go to a seminar at the local engineering college?" The captain asked, trying to take his mind of his dead sister.

"Sure, we came here to gather information after all," Lang replied.

"I'll call this Professor Kato and see what I can arrange," Ortiz promised.

**Location: Near the wreckage of Junius Seven**

Rammillion flight continued its search for the _Silverwind_. The electromagnetic chatter that had jammed their standard radar systems had died down now. It seemed as though the _Silverwind_ had never existed, that the transmission had been an echo. At least until Amuro spotted something in his peripheral vision.

"Hey Wolf 10, I've got something at 12 o'clock high I'm going to check it out," Amuro stated as he maneuvered his Veritech toward a small light green capsule. "This is Ramillion 1; I have what looks like an escape pod of some type."

"Hmm... Maybe it's from the _Silverwind_. We should bring it back with us," Jack commented.

"What do you think the commander would say?" Amuro asked.

"If he's anything like Commander Chase we could end up in a court-martial." Jack replied. "But we are saving a life. So I really could care less," he added.

Amuro switched his fighter to Batteloid configuration and grasped the escape pod with both hands. Jack followed suit as they pushed the pod towards the direction of the Ark Royal and took up sentry posts along its path.

"Good old Newtonian physicist," said Amuro, adding "I called the gang, the cat's eye is safe and they will rendezvous with us shortly."

"Excellent," Jack replied.

**(A little while later)**

**Location: Bridge of Armor 4, UES Ark Royal**

Since Armor 4 had entered Lagrange point four to avoid local traffic, it was orbiting near the graveyard of an Island Three colony. The pace of the bridge has died down a lot, so much so that Sarah Knoll was playing Solitaire on her computer. Even Maria and Murdock were playing "Rogue leader: Battle at Abawaku!" against each other on their center monitors.

Sarah was just about to place the last card need to finish her tenth round of Solitaire when a sensor blip showed on the monitor screen. Then another blip and another until six showed up. It was Ramillion flight, Wolf 10 and their cat's eye recon plane. Except for Ramillion 1 which was carefully guiding something along.

"Commander Pham?" She asked as she turned around. Commander Pham was asleep in the captain's chair, snoring. "Commander Pham?" Sarah asked again, a bit louder.

"I've got it Sarah," Murdock stated as he paused his game. He noticed that Commander Pham had placed a cup of water on his arm rest when he fell asleep. Murdock, ducking down, crept low. He slowly pushed the cup over the edge and spilled the water on Pham. The Commander shot up out of chair, wondering what was happening as Murdock ran back to his seat unnoticed. Everyone was chuckling as Pham wiped the water off his pant leg.

"Uh… sir Ramillion flight is returning. Ramillion One is carrying something which appears to be an escape pod," Sarah stated.

"Alright, I'll be going to the zero g flight deck, get medical there ASAP. Oh, how is the _Razgriz _progressing?"

"The _Razgriz_ should be near their destination at Lagrange Point 3 sir."

"Alright, give Ramillion permission to land. Don't forget the medics. Time to meet the locals it seems," Commander Pham stated as he walked off the bridge, the water in his shoe giving off a slight squeak with every other step.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Gundams Rising**

Location, Heliopolis:

Kira Yamato's wandering gaze shifted from the programming homework Professor Kato gave him a day earlier and began to watch the news broadcast on his screen.

"On the South African refugee camps 1.2 million people are struggling to survive because of the lack of food supplies. Next, the war situation. Concerning the Kaoshiung battle... According to information just delivered, last week at Kaoshiung, the ZAFT army..."

More bad news! Kira thought to himself.

Kira was relatively slight for a sixteen year old. Quiet and a bit shy, Kira kept to himself most of the time. Today he sat alone in a little gazebo, quietly working.

A small emerald and gold robo-bird swooped inside the gazebo and landed on Kira's computer. "Tori!" The little bird chirped happily.

"Kira!" A distant voice called out. Kira turned his head and spotted his good friend Tolle Koenig and his girlfriend Miriallia Haw. Tolle was a good friend but could be a little annoying at times. Still, he was a good friend and it was always fun to be with him and Miriallia. They also looked happy to see Kira. "So here you are!" Miriallia exclaimed. "Professor Kato was looking for you."

"Again?" Kira asked. He hoped that the Professor didn't have any more work to do. He was swamped as it was!

"He said to drag you over once we find you," Tolle added. Tolle and Miriallia both worked on things similar programming work, but Kato seemed to prefer Kira do the brunt of the work.

"What is it now? Does he need your help with something again?" Milly (Miriallia) asked. She was obviously concerned for the amount of work Kira had recently been asked to complete.

"Damn, I haven't even completed the one he passed me yesterday!" Kira confessed, but before he could continue the news cast he left on interrupted the conversation. "Hurry! Hurry, come over here!"

"Something on the news?" Tolle curiously asked as he took the seat next to Kira.

"Yeah, about Kaoshiung," Kira stated. Milly walked around the table to see the news report. There was a reporter wearing a flak jacket standing in front of a crumbling building with two menacing GINNs fire their guns at something outside the camera's point of view "This is Kaoshiung, from the view of unit 7. The sound of battle is still raging on around us..."

"If this is from last week then Kaoshiung has probably already fallen," Tolle stated as the news broadcast continued. The one thing everyone observed in this war, whether through news broadcast, causality reports, or actual field experience, was the ferocity and tenacity of ZAFT. Most assumed that the Earth would easily win because of its numerical superiority, but that was the problem of running a war by numbers alone. Numbers don't account for the human or superhuman factors involved in warfare, and the Earth forces had learned that the hard way after Junius Seven.

Miriallia sudden realized something disturbing and asked worriedly, "Isn't Kaoshiung pretty close to Orb? Will we be alright?"

Tolle got up out of seat and wrapped a consoling arm around Milly's shoulder and said, "You shouldn't worry about that. Even though they're close by, we're a neutral country. There's no chance Orb would get involved in the war."

Milly wasn't really convinced of what Tolle had said, but she nodded anyway. All this talk of neutrality and Tori chirping reminded Kira of a good friend four years back. His name had been Athrun Zala. They had both been studying on the moon when tensions between the Earth and PLANT were less explosive.

Kira remembered when Athrun had left for PLANT. When he had given Kira Tori. "It's okay, if that's the case. There really won't be a war between PLANT and the Earth. I don't think there's a reason to take refuge, but you'll also be coming to PLANT sometime in the future, right Kira?" He had said.

**xxx  
Location, Heliopolis Dock:**

Jane Riber, Miho Kitagawa, and Yui Ichijyo floated toward the Solaris with their new guest. While they were in the elevator Jane explained everything to Yui and Miho. Wang, the incapacitated security guard, had confessed in his little note that he was a spy for ZAFT and that this colony was going to be a war zone soon. Why he had given Yui that note was beyond anyone but Wang himself.

"How are we going to contact the other groups!?" We didn't exactly issue radios to everyone!" Miho asked out loud as she carried the unconscious man in the Star Goose shuttle.

"Well we are lucky that we only have about 3 hours left before the other teams return. Hopefully we won't be attacked before then," Yui optimistically stated as she entered the shuttle.

"We can only hope so. I'm going to start up the shuttle just in case. Strap Wang in on one of the empty seats. If he wakes up use your side arm," Jane ordered as she hurriedly ripped off her tunic and grabbed her flight suit.

**xxx  
Location, Heliopolis Port Control:**

Slowly an Earth Alliance freighter entered Heliopolis' docking facility. The ship itself was carrying the pilots for the G-Project. The Earth Alliance captain in charge of supplying the operation sat nonchalantly and took off his cap, letting it float precariously through the room. "And with that, this ship's final mission has been completed without a hitch. You did a good job of escorting the ship, Lieutenant Flaga," the old captain stated to the ace Moebius Zero pilot, Mu La Flaga.

The captain's optimism felt a bit out of place. Even if this was a highly classified project, that didn't mean that ZAFT didn't know about this little project. "We're lucky that nothing happened en route. Any activity on the ZAFT ships around this area?"

"We are tracking two, but... Even if they enter the port, ZAFT can't do anything to us." The captain's attitude was getting on Mu's nerves. It was the same attitude the Earth forces had had when the war had started. The same attitude that since then led to countless defeats for the Earth Forces.

"A neutral nation, right?" Mu countered. "I've heard it so many times that I'm sick of it."

The captain continued in his usual droll of apathy and replied, "But thanks to that, the plan has been able to proceed this far. The fact that Orb is a part of Earth..."

Five pilots floated next to the captain and saluted patiently. The lead soldier finally gained the old captain's attention and said, "Well, Captain." The five pilots were ready to disembark and enjoy some shore leave for a change.

"Humph." The Captain grunted as he raised his hand to salute the pilots away. And with that the pilots glided off to the door leading to the port.

"Are you sure it's fine that only these people disembark?" Mu asked, unconvinced at their 'peaceful' situation.

"They are the top guns who have been chosen to be the G pilots. No problem. It'll be better for people like you to go back instead of pacing around and attracting more attention," the old captain quipped in return.

**xxx**  
**Location, outside the _Vesaliuis_: **

The _Vesaliuis _and its escort, the _Gamow_, concealed themselves behind the mining asteroid Heliopolis was attached to.

Athrun Zala and his nine man commando team slowly approached the asteroid. Four members wore the standard green airtight spacesuits that belonged to regular soldiers or mobile suit pilots. The other five wore red spacesuits, indicating that they belonged to the elite mobile suit pilot core of ZAFT.

The team snuck into a large exhaust port. Athrun stared at his watch. The security system in the exhaust tunnel shut off right on time. He gave the signal and the commando team slid through and split up. They quickly began placing their small explosive charges throughout the installation containing the Earth Alliance's new warship. After they had placed the charges and set their timers, the team stealthily made there way toward the colony itself. Everything was going according to plan.

**xxx**  
**Location, Bridge of the _Vesaliuis_:**

"Stop looking so serious, Ades," the mysterious Rau Le Creuset said. Captain Ades expression only soured more. Rau Le Creuset wore a white mask that concealed half of his face, giving him a slightly menacing aura. 

"Yes, but I'm waiting for a reply from the council... Isn't it a bit late?" The stern Ades asked Le Creuset. Rau knew exactly what Ades meant. Every military operation that every ZAFT Commander even thinks of has to be approved by the PLANT war council. The council must be deliberating hotly, Creuset assumed.

"It is late. My intuition tells me so. The price we have to pay for a mistake here. Anyhow, it seems that we'll have to pay for it with our lives. The Earth Alliance's new mobile weapons...We must move quickly before they are transported away from there," Creuset said, lightly throwing a fuzzy photo of the Earth's new weapons toward Ades. "We'll steal the Earth Alliance Force's new mobile suits before they ever know what happened."

**xxx  
Location, Heliopolis Elecar Rental Facility:**  
"That's why I said... It's not like that!"

Kira snapped to attention as he and his friends slowly approached the elecar rental platform. There was a group of girls clustered around Flay Allster. She was a beauty. With fiery red hair, a petite frame and a poise like a ballerina, she could stand out in any crowd. Kira had a crush on Flay and on the few occasions they did speak, Kira's stomach filled up with butterflies.

Kira watched Flay blush under the girls near constant prying. His heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. He shifted his gaze to the right and noticed a group of three older men sitting patiently in the platform. They seemed slightly annoyed at the constant rambling in front of them.

"Oh, Miriallia?" One of the girls called out. "Hey, Miriallia, you should know, right?"

Flay stomped her feet furiously. "Stop it already!"

"What?" Miriallia asked.

"She got a letter from Sai Argyle!" The girl replied with glee. "But she isn't telling us anything!"

"You two, that's enough!" Flay demanded.

A calm voice came from behind Tolle and Kira. "If you aren't getting on, may we go first?"

The students turned around to see a sophisticated woman with severely cut jet black hair. Two tall, equally imposing men stood behind her. The woman looked to be in her mid-twenties. Kira felt a bit intimated by her, while Tolle simply nodded. "Sorry, please do."

The young teenagers steeped aside, letting the three adults catch the available elecar that finally made it to the platform. Kira watched them go, trying to keep his gaze off of Flay.

Finally, Flay and her 'friends' grabbed the next car and left Kira and his friends with the other group of adults.

Tolle clapped Kira on the shoulder playfully. "A letter form Sai... How surprising, for Flay Allster. That sounds like a formidable enemy, Kira Yamato."

"I don't really..." Kira began to say when the tall adult with the strange command cap began to laugh hysterically.

"Don't give up!" The man stated as Kira and his friends hopped into another elecar.  
"What was that one song Minmei use to sing all the time? To be in love must be the sweetest dream that a girl can have. To be in love, or something like Dr. Lang?" Ortiz asked the Doctor.

"Something like that sir. I never really listen much to Minmei. I was too busy working some new combat or defense system during that time. Shall we?" Lang gestured to an available elecar.

"Yeah we've spent enough time here." The captain replied as the group got up and entered the next elecar.

**xxx  
Location, Armor 4, Starboard Sponson, Maintenance Section:**

Commander Pham stared at Amuro as he glided out of his cockpit and landed on the deck next to the grounded escape pod. Armor Four's maintenance section was kept at Zero-G to facilitate faster repairs on incoming veritechs during combat operations. The section was relativity empty except for four Veritech fighters, an escape pod and a few medics and five curious pilots. "So, any idea on who this pod belongs to?" Commander Pham asked Lieutenant Jack Archer.

"Well, we assume that the escape pod belongs to a civilian transport called the Silverwind. We picked up an echo of a transmission so we don't know for sure," Jack replied.

"I guess I'll crack it open sir," Ryu added as he grabbed the handle on the escape pod's entry hatch. Commander Pham nodded and the door rushed open. A pink ball floated out of the pod chirping "Haro! Haro!"

Amuro's eyes were riveted on the tiny robot. "Amuro, is that what I think it is?" Hayato asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, it's Haro, but smaller and pink!" Amuro exclaimed. Then a soft voice echoed lightly out of the pod.

"Thank you; thank you so very much for helping me." All eyes were on a young woman who floated out of the pod. She had long, flowing pink hair and she wore an interesting white dress with a lavender trim. She looked like an angel for those few seconds that she was in the air. Amuro finally snapped to attention, grasped the girl's wrist and brought her down to the floor.

"Oh thank you," she said, smiling at the Amuro with eyes that were a deep blue-gray. Amuro blushed a little. But as she looked around she quickly realized that she wasn't on a ZAFT ship. "Where am I anyways?"

Kai rolled his eyes and whispered to Ryu, "This is going to be one weird debriefing."

**xxx**

Ramillion flight; Commander Pham, Lieutenants Jack Archer and Izzy Randal gathered in the briefing room with Lacus Clyne. The medics had checked her out and were dumbfounded by her physiology. She seemed okay, but with the little experience they have had with coordinators they couldn't be sure.

"Miss Clyne is it?" Pham started. "Do you know where you are?"

She looked at the short commander. She knew she wasn't on a ZAFT ship but she was also not on an Earth Alliance ship either. She assumed that she is on some station since no ship, military or civilian, had gravity except when accelerating. "No I don't have any idea. Perhaps you can tell me."

"Should we tell her?" Izzy whispered into Jacks ear.

"Oh please do," Lacus responded as if Izzy had spoken out loud.

"Sensitive hearing," Pham said to himself. "We're… neutral. The pilot over there..." Pham pointed toward Amuro. Both Lacus and Amuro's eyes met for a brief moment. "...picked you up near the wreck of... Junius Seven. What were you doing exactly?"

"I have been selected to oversee the Junius Seven memorial service coming soon."

"Hmm... makes since, but how did you end up in an escape pod?" Amuro asked, interested in the story.

"An Earth Alliance ship docked with ours and when they found out about what we were doing, they became upset and one thing led to another," Lacus replied.

"So an Earth Alliance ship attacked yours even though it was a civilian transport?" It seemed almost unreal and barbaric for a warship to sink a civilian transport. Pham turned to Jack. "Were there any other survivors?"

"Sadly no sir. We didn't find any others. I'm sorry," Jack said to Lacus.

"Well then, I guess you are our guest until we can find a way to get you back to PLANT, Miss Clyne. Until then can you... autograph this handkerchief of mine. I like your music," Pham asked as he pulled out a pen and his personal handkerchief.

"Hey, if he's getting an autograph I'm getting one to!" Izzy declared as she hurriedly searched her pocket to find something for her to write on.

"I guess Minmei is no longer a fan favorite," Hayato added, snickering.

"Well if she made more songs and stopped replaying the same old ones, then maybe she'd still be a fan favorite," Kai replied with a grin.

**xxx**  
With the debriefing over, Ramillion flight got the pleasure of escorting the "Pink Princess", as Ryu referred to Miss Clyne, to the recreation area. When they entered they found the pint sized pink Haro playing with the basketball sized green Haro.

"Athrun's here!" Lacus cheerfully assumed.

Hayato asked in response, "Who's Athrun?"

"He's my fiancé; didn't he make that Haro?" Lacus replied while pointing to the large Haro.

"No, I made that Haro," Amuro answered back.

"So, are you a good friend of Athrun?" She asked naively.

"No. I don't know an Athrun. Perhaps I can meet him one day," Amuro replied, trying to not roll his eyes.

"Ah... listen Miss Clyne. During your stay here, one of us will always be with you… well, unless you have to use the bath..." Ryu began to say. "I mean, if you need anything just call one of us or the commander. Also, you should stay away from the hangar bay and the engineering section. It can be dangerous in those sections."

"Yeah, I volunteer for the first shift." Kai stated almost too enthusiastically.

"No you don't Kai, I will," Hayato replied hastily.

"Okay okay, first of all, everyone knows that I will be the first to escort her around the ship," Ryu replied confidently.

"Oh yeah how 'bout we draw straws?" Kai asked.

"Guys, I think she has already chosen who will escort her first," Hayato stated as he pointed toward Amuro and Lacus. Both were sitting on a couch with their Haros. They seemed genuinely interested in each other in a friendly sort of way. Even their Haros exhibited the same behavior.

"Ahh... she has a fiancée anyways. Wouldn't want to get involved in that way anyhow," Ryu stated disappointedly.

**xxx  
Location: Heliopolis Industrial College**

Kira and his friends took the elecar inside Morgenroete's industrial complex. They were going to pay a small visit to Professor Kato's lab. The engineering college was nearly adjacent to the factory facility.

As they entered the Lab, Sai greeted them happily. "Hello! Ahh! You finally came, Kira." Sai was about one year older than the rest of the students, and often the most mature. Of course his fashion sense belied his maturity. Kuzzey Buskirk was there as well, sitting at a table near the far end of the room. Next to him was a smaller student whom no one had seen before. The student had a large brown hat on that obscured his face.

Kira looked the newcomer over. Golden blond hair jutted out from under his hat and his limbs were slender, like a child's.

Tolle walked up to Kuzzey and asked. "Who's that?"

"Ahh, the Professor's guest. She was told to wait here." Kuzzey replied. Tolle was a little surprised. He'd pegged the girl for a boy. It must have been the hat.

"So, where's the Professor?" Kira asked Sai.

Sai just shrugged his shoulders and pulled out a small black computer card. "I've been keeping this for you. An appendix, I think. What is it?"

Sai handed the little card to Kira. "It's probably the work on Morgenroete." Kira looked the card over before continuing. "I'm not interested. Improvement on the Frame-Set module. Anyway, program analysis."

Tolle, laughing, wrapped his arm around Kira neck and began to squeeze lightly saying. "Let's hear about the letter first!"

"Letter?" Sai wondered.

"It's nothing!" Kira denied. Flay was a beautiful girl, but if Sai made the first move Kira was going to let it be.

"As if!" Tolle countered as he tightened his grip.

"Stop it already! Stop it! You're choking me!" Kira gagged out.

**xxx**  
Commander Le Creuset glanced at his wrist timer. Two, One, Zero. "It's time. Gamow, Vesalius, launch!"

The two ZAFT warships fired up their engines and began to advance on the colony. The Gamow's launch bay opened up and quickly launched a GINN.

**xxx**  
The lone sensor operator stared in terror as the two ZAFT sensor blips began to make their move on Heliopolis. "This is Heliopolis... Approaching ZAFT ships, please respond." There was no response. "ZAFT ships, please respond!" The officer didn't know what to do. Quickly he bashed the alarm button on his console. He turned around and spotted the captain glide into the room in a hurry. "Captain!"

The sensor captain looked at the screen in front of the panicking operator. "Calm down. Stop the alarm! Contact the approaching ZAFT ships!"

"You are infringing on our territorial airspace! Cease your approach immediately! ZAFT army, cease your approach immediately!" The only response the operator received was static, ear splitting static. "The ZAFT ships are emitting a powerful electromagnetic interference! This is clearly an act of war!"

**xxx**

Alarms began blaring all over the Earth Alliance transport. Lieutenant Flaga had kept his small Moebius wing on standby since they entered the colony. It looked like his diligence was going to pay off. Mu ran into the bridge, trying to readjust his purple flight suit. "The enemy?"

The old captain looked at Flaga. The alarmist was right. The enemy would attack, or were they trying to frighten the Earth Alliance out of hiding? "Two ships; a Nazca and Laurasia class. Before the electromagnetic interference, we have confirmed the launch of mobile suits."

"Tell Loos and Gale to standby on the Moebius." Flaga began to run out of the bridge when the captain ordered out, "Don't let them out yet!"

Mu turned around, confused. "Captain..." He began to say in objection

"Don't get too excited..." The old captain began. Heliopolis is a neutral colony. ZAFT wouldn't go to war against Orb. It was unthinkable. "They want us to act first. Let Heliopolis deal with it."

Mu cringed at the thought. It was hard enough for five Moebius mobile armors to engage a single mobile suit, but the only mobile weapons Heliopolis has on hand were a few Mistral work pods. They were going to be cut down mercilessly.

**xxx**

Inside the asteroid docking bay, the Earth Alliance's new assault ship rested. Its name was _Archangel_. The command crew of the ship was overseeing the final preparations from the observation post. An ensign came up to the captain and told him what was going on outside the colony.

"I know... If it comes to that, the ship will launch," the captain replied. He turned toward Ensign Natarle Badgiruel. "Call Lieutenant Ramius! Commence the important transportation."

"Yes, sir!" The twenty five year old ensign replied. She quickly turned around and floated away from the observation post.

The Captain of the _Archangel _was confident in his situation. ZAFT was going to be in for a surprise. "If we attack near the mines, we'll get them all in one strike," he thought aloud.

"Yes, sir!" His XO agreed. Then, the charges that the ZAFT commandos had placed went off. All throughout the installation unsuspecting crews were killed off, the observation post exploded in flames and the shockwave hurled Ensign Badgiruel up against a rock face, knocking her out cold.

**xxx**

Captain Ortiz and his party finally entered the hallway just outside the room to Professor Kato's Lab when the whole room shock violently. "Thundering Asteroids! What was that, Meteorites?" Captain Ortiz asked aloud.

"I don't think so, sir. I think those were explosives," Private White replied.

**xxx**

Lieutenant Mu La Flaga ran out to his red, Moebius zero. Heliopolis' first line of defense has just been annihilated, and now mobile suits were entering the port. His unit was outnumbered, but they had no other choice. "Please, launch the ship! The port is being attacked!"

Gale, the youngest moebius pilot in Mu's unit, was anxious to get into the fight. "I'm launching too!" 

The three Moebuis units launched out into space toward the second wave of GINN mobile suits. Gale's mobile armor was the first to fire and missed horribly. The three mobile suits broke formation and returned fire on the moebius units. Loos' mobile armor took two hits to its fuselage and exploded in a pinkish, yellow flame.

"Damn it!" Mu yelled out loud. Mu acquired the lead GINN and deployed his four tethered, crimson gun pods. The pods positioned themselves around the mobile suit and fired from all angles. Several rounds ripped through the shoulders of the GINN and incapacitated it.

Gale's Moebius closed in on another GINN and fired wildly. The GINN continued closing in on the hapless moebius unit. The GINN drew out its heavy sword and, just as it was about to crush the cockpit of the moebius with its blade a stream of bullets ripped it apart. Gale fired two missiles point blank and finished off the mobile suit. "I've got one! Thanks Flaga! I owe you one!"

"That wasn't me Gale," Mu replied over the radio. He was too busy trying to take out the other mobile suit.

Two black fighters flew past Gale's cockpit at a high speed. They looked like F-14's. She then looked over in the direction the fighters came from. She saw an Orb transport and more two fighters escorting it out. "Ensign Gale of the Earth Alliance's 7th Mobile Fleet to unidentified fighters, please identify yourself and your nationality."

A strong baritone voice came over the radio. "This is Lieutenant Dick Bernard, Razgriz flight... Climb and bank!"

Another GINN closed in on Gale's unit from behind and fired its 76mm machine gun, shooting off Gale's missile pod and sending her mobile armor into an uncontrolled spin. Just as the GINN was about to finish off the mobile armor a spray of bullets connected with the GINN's leg joint and sent the mobile suit reeling away from the crippled mobile armor. One of the black fighters approached Gale's unit while the other pursed the damaged mobile suit. The black F-14 transformed in front of Gale's eyes into a mobile suit form and grasped his unit.

"Don't worry Ensign Gale. I got ya'!" The baritone voice declared as the black and red mobile suit carried Gale's damaged unit toward Heliopolis.

**xxx**

After the sudden explosions rocked the colony, Lieutenant Ramius requested a situation report on the _Archangel_. It was odd that she hadn't received any orders at all. Her friend, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hamada, finally reported back. "Lieutenant Ramius, we've lost contact with the ship. Situation unknown."

Just then, both of them looked up and saw a GINN closing on their position. Murrue grabbed Hamada by the neck collar and pulled him out of the way as the GINN strafed the supply convoy.

Once the smoke cleared Murrue picked herself up. "Damned ZAFT! Activate X-105 and X-303! Anyway, just leave the site!"

**xxx**

Captain Ortiz and his scouting party immediately began directing students to the stair well. The explosions were becoming louder, closer to the college. A group of students walked out of an adjacent room. The leader of the group wore tinted glasses and a funky sports coat. "What's happening?" He asked.

"Reports came in that we're being attacked by ZAFT! Mobile suits have entered the colony! You guys should hurry!" The rookie marine replied as he directed some of the last students out. A tall uniformed man came up to the private and said, "White, I'm going to check out the rest of the rooms for any others. You and Lang should leave immediately with this group. Understood?"

"Yes Captain. It's understood," White replied. Captain Ortiz walked out into the hallway when he saw two students running down the hall. One was a blond kid, the other he recognized from the elecar station.

"Hey you, wait!" Captain Ortiz called out. He ran down the hall after them.

**xxx**

The commando team successfully entered the colony and watched below as the Earth Alliance convoy began to scramble. Yzak Jule, the leader of the group, had platinum blond hair with a strange cut, but no one in the team was more ambitious. "That's it. Just like Commander Creuset said. "Scare them a little, and they'll come out of their holes, huh?"

Dearka Elsman was next to him and looked on cynically saying. "They're pretty stupid, being Naturals and all." Yzak and Dearka made for a dangerous pair to be sure.

Yzak motioned to the team and rocketed toward the enemy convoy. ZAFT marksmen picked off the some of the defending Earth soldiers. "Destroy the facilities and the equipment that we can't take with us," Yzak ordered. The team landed on the highway and used damaged elecars for cover as they fought off the Earth Alliance guards. The ZAFT soldiers made skillful use of their grenades. "The report said there'd be five of them... The other two aren't here yet?" He observed

Athrun Zala looked behind him and nodded at Rusty. "Leave that to Rusty and me. Your group can take those three, Yzak."

Yzak fired his gun off and killed another guard before replying. "Okay, I'll leave it to you." Athrun and Rusty took a group of soldiers with them and advanced on the Morgenroete complex. "Once we've got the machines, disarm the self-destruct device immediately."

**xxx**

Kira finally caught up with the blond stranger and grasped his arm. "What are you doing? They told us to go there!"

"Why did you follow me?" He asked furiously. He looked over Kira's shoulder and noticed the captain fast approaching them. "You should hurry up and leave!"

Just as Ortiz reached the two kids a large explosion sent everyone to the floor. The stranger's hat flew off revealing the features of a young girl.

"A girl?" Kira and Ortiz asked themselves.

"What did you think I was until now?!" She asked angrily. It seemed her disguise was a little too good.

"Well, I thought you were a boy," Ortiz confessed. Kira kind of nodded in agreement while blushing. This was embarrassing.

The blond girl stared at Ortiz with an evil eye that made him cringe. She looked down the hall that she was running down. "Forget it! Just go! I have something I must confirm!"

Kira looked back from where they came from. The corridor was blocked by concrete and steel. "Go where? I can't go back anymore." Kira said aloud.

"You mean we kid. We." Ortiz corrected.

The girl looked back to where she was running. "Err... This way!" The three of them, Emanuel, Kira, and the blond girl began running down the hall again. Ortiz took point, with Kira tugging the girl along. "Let me go, you idiot!" She yelled. "If it comes to this, I..." Her sapphire eyes began to tear up. She was obviously distraught, but then again who wouldn't be with all the explosions going on.

"It'll be all right, we'll be saved!" Kira replied consolingly. "If we go to the factory, there should still be a shelter."

"Then to the factory we go!" Ortiz yelled back as he continued to jog toward the light at the end of the corridor.

The three of them finally made out of the dark, dusty tunnel and emerged onto a catwalk overlooking the factory floor in the Morgenroete complex. What they saw was startling. Earth Alliance soldiers and ZAFT commandos were shooting it out for control of two dark gray mobile suits resting on truck beds. The blond girl fell to her knees in disbelief. "This is..? Just as I thought... The Earth Alliance's new mobile weapon... Father, you traitor!" She screamed.

Ortiz looked down and saw a familiar face battling it out with the ZAFT troops. It was Murrue Ramius with a SMG slung under her arm. Murrue swung around and trained her gun on the group.

"Get down!!!" Ortiz yelled as he pushed the two kids to the floor. Bullets whizzed overhead for a few moments and when it was over he grabbed the kids by the collar and pulled them along out of the fire fight.

"It's no use crying! Just run!" Ortiz yelled as Kira directed them toward the shelter.

Murrue ceased fire and asked herself in disbelief who she was shooting at. "Ortiz? Children?"

**xxx**

Yzak was the first to get his mobile suit running. It was the most basic of the X-numbers, called Duel. Even if this was a basic model for the X-numbers, it was much more complex and capable than even the GUCE series of mobile suits ZAFT was coming out with. He rubbed the control panel in front of him in excitement. "Ohh... pretty impressive. How is it, Dearka?" He asked over the radio.

"Okay..." Dearka responded. He began mumbling to himself trying to program the mobile suit on the spot. The Earth operating systems were crude at best. "Updater activated, nav link okay, calibration completed. Move!" Dreaka's X-number, the Buster, rose up out of its trailer.

"Nicol!" Yzak called out. Nicol was the youngest member of the team. Generally shy and timid, Nicol had performed his duty so far very well. Now he was rewriting the operating system on the X-number called Blitz.

"Please wait," Nicol responded over the radio. Finally he finished typing and the Blitz rose up with the other X-numbers.

Dearka looked around wondering where Rusty and Athrun were at. "What about Athrun and Rusty? They're late."

"They'll be okay." Yzak reassuringly stated. "Anyway, we'll deliver these three back first. Don't let them get destroyed before we've handed them over to Commander Creuset."

**xxx**

"See, there are people taking shelter here," Kira optimistically said to the others.

Ortiz looked at the green indicator light above the escape elevator leading to the shelter. He placed his hand on the terminal in front of him. It seemed to take an eternity for the shelter to respond. Finally a voice crackled over the comm. "There's still someone out there?"

"Yes, two kids and I... Please open the door!" Ortiz answered back.

"Three?" the crackling voice asked.

Kira rolled his eyes in frustration and yelled, "Yes!"

"We're already full. Shelter 37 is in the left block. Can you get there?" The voice replied worriedly. It was just the news that they didn't need. Kira pointed toward the direction of where Shelter 37 was located. They could make it, but with the crossfire going on in that area it would be suicidal for all of them to try.

"Then at least take one of us, a girl!" Ortiz pleaded. Maybe, just maybe Ortiz would be able to drop the girl off her, then the boy at shelter 37 and make his way to the docking port and link up with the scouting party.

"I understand, really sorry!" The voice answered back.

The transparent tube in front of Ortiz opened up and Kira grabbed the girl saying, "Get in." The girl tried to object but Ortiz and Kira prevailed and shoved the girl into the tube.

Once the girl disappeared in the elevator below Ortiz pulled out his side arm from under his coat pocket and stretched out his arm saying, "Okay, come with me if you want to live." Kira took his hand apprehensively and the two of them began their long run toward Shelter 37.

"Hamada, Bryan, activate them! Hurry!" Murrue tried to order over the gunfire and explosions.

Ortiz and Kira ran back to the catwalk they first came from. The carnage on the ground floor as bad as it was the first time. Suddenly, Kira caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head around and spotted a ZAFT sniper training his gun on the soldiers below. "Look out! Behind you!"

Murrue twisted around and unloaded her clip on the sniper. "Them again... Why?" She had fired on Ortiz and that kid yet they helped her out. She needed to return the favor. "Come here!" She yelled at the two.

"We'll head for the shelter in the left block! Don't worry about us!" Ortiz called back.

Murrue shook her head remembering the shelter exploding in flames after a missile truck misfire. "The only thing that's left is the door! Come here!" Both Ortiz and Kira looked for a way down but the stairs that lead to the floor were blown away.

Ortiz ran off to body of the dead ZAFT marksmen. Murrue witnessed Kira jumping down from the catwalk with the grace of a cat.

Athrun and what remained of the ZAFT commando team were holding out at a cargo container. A red clad soldier in front of him rose up from under a crate and was instantly cut down by a volley of gunfire. Athrun looked on, stunned at the sight of his good friend gunned down. Athrun ran out screaming, "Rusty!!!" firing he's gun at the natural who had gunned down his friend.

Murrue watched as Hamada drooped to the floor. "Hamada!"

Athrun trained his gun on Murrue and fired a single shot. Murrue fell to the ground. Athrun pulled the trigger on his rifle a second time, aiming for the person next to the natural woman. Click. He was out of ammo. Athrun dropped his rifle and drew out his blade. He charged the two until the person next to the woman called out his name. "Athrun?"

Athrun snapped out of his bloodlust and realized who the person was. "Kira?" At that very moment a man dropped from the sky wearing a blue coat and a ZAFT jet pack. Ortiz landed hard on the mobile suit's fuselage, firing blind with his pistol. Athrun dodged backwards, evading every shot.

Murrue finally broke out of her trance and pulled Kira and Ortiz into the mobile suit's cockpit. The Gray mobile suit rose up out of the flames of the factory.


	5. Chapter 5

**Cosmic Era 70.**

Following the tragedy of "Bloody Valentine", the tension between the Earth and PLANT immediately developed into serious military engagements. Without a doubt, everyone believed in the victory of the Earth Alliance which out numbered ZAFT. However, despite predictions, the war became drawn out, with 11 months having already passed.

**xxx**

Athrun dropped his rifle and drew his combat knife and in a bloody rage charged after the two people in front of him. But, as he reached arm's length of the two, one of them called his name.

The familiar voiced snapped Athrun back to stark reality. Was it his good friend Kira Yamato next to the Earth Alliance officer? "Kira?" he replied.

Just then, a man dropped out of the sky, wearing a deep blue coat and a jet pack, landed hard on the mobile suit's fuselage, firing blind at Athrun. Athrun jumped backward, evading every shot.

The gunshots woke Murrue out of her trance. She pushed Kira and Ortiz into the cockpit of the mobile suit. "Get behind the seat!" Murrue order the two.

She began flipping switches as Kira and Ortiz uneasily got behind the one seat. "Even I should be able to move this." Murrue concluded to herself.

Kira's gaze shifted all around, looking at random screens when the display in front of him caught his attention.

**G**eneral

**U**nilateral

**N**euro-Link

**D**ispersive

**A**utonomic

**M**aneuver

"Gundam?" Kira mumbled.

**Chapter Five: Gundam, meet Valkyrie. Valkyrie, meet Gundam. **

"A level 8 evacuation order has been announced in Heliopolis. All residents should evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately." The Colony's PA system announced.

Dr. Lang and Private White continued running with a group of kids from the college, trying to escape the carnage all around them. The group tried to make their way down a street when two gray battloids emerged out of an explosion in front of them.

One landed next to the GINN that had been wreaking havoc on the surrounding structures.

"Athrun!" ZAFT pilot MiguelAiman called out. With the two last Earth Mobile suits out and walking about, Miguel naturally assumed that Rusty and Athrun were successfully and that they can now leave.

"Rusty failed!" Athrun stated. Miguel couldn't believe it. He'd grown to like Rusty, but now Rusty is dead. "That unit is being piloted by an Earth Forces officer." Athrun continued.

Miguel spotted the other Mobile Suit, wobbling about as if it were a new born baby, learning to walk for the first time. Miguel placed his GINNs MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machine gun on rear waist rack and drew its MA-M3 heavy sword.

"Okay, I'll capture this machine. You go on ahead and make sure you get yours out of here!" Miguel stated as he charged the enemy mobile suit.

Athrun looked on apprehensively. You couldn't shake the image of Kira's scared face. 'Kira, no it can't be. It's not possible that he's there.' He thought.

Ortiz, Murrue, and Kira watched in horror as the GINN began closing in with sword in hand. Murrue quickly slammed on the foot pedals causing the Gundam to leap out of the GINNs way.

She quickly pulled the trigger on her control stick, firing the Gundam's head mounted vulcans. Unfortunately the rounds whizzed above the GINN's head as it rocketed toward the Gundam.

'The calibration is off.' Kira thought to himself. Murrue quickly hit a button and the Gundam's torso shone bright blue, and crimson red. Its arms changed to an ivory white. The Gundam caught the blade between its hands.

"Phase Shift armor!?" Miguel called out.

The GINN backed off for a second and struck again sending the Gundam backwards into a building. "Wah!" Ortiz's face burrowed into Murrue's chest.

"Get back!" She barked. "Do you want to die?"

"It was an accident! A mistake!" Ortiz replied, blushing. He moved over as best as he could.

Murrue manipulated the controls and raised the Gundam back up. Kira noticed on the screen next to him that there was a group of terrified people just behind the Gundam. He recognized most as his friends.

The GINN charged, bearing its sword toward the cockpit. Kira snapped to and pushed Murrue's hand away, grabbed at a lever and pulled it. The Gundam's body ducked and then thrust forward.

On the ground, Kira's friends and Dr. Lang watched, wide eyed, as the blue and white battloid shoved the GINN on its back.

Alarms sounded in the Gundam's cockpit and the monitor in front of them opened a small window featuring two black and red mobile suits descending on their position. One of them was carrying a light purple mobile armor.

"What are those?" Murrue asked herself.

"Razgriz." Ortiz mumbled to himself. He quickly grasped the headset next to him and brought it to his mouth. "Razgriz flight! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Lieutenant Dick Bernard's deep baritone voice came over the radio saying, "Reconnaissance in force sir. Where are you anyways Captain?"

Murrue looked back at Ortiz, curiously, and with a hint of disdain. Ortiz put his hand over the microphone and said, "I'll explain later. Hey kid, wave this machine's hand."

Ortiz took his hand off of the microphone and replied, "I'm in the machine waving its hand. Do you see it?"

"Yeah I see it. Watch out!" Dick yelled. The GINN swung at the Gundam and sent the machine reeling to the right, knocking out Murrue.

"Damn it!" Ortiz yelled.

Dick Bernard's Battloid continued its descent toward the colony's surface while Razgriz 2, with Ensign Kei Nagase piloting, switched to Guardian configuration and swooped down on the target. The GINN quickly drew its heavy assault machine gun and began firing on the fast approaching Guardian.

Razgriz two shifted right, gliding along the street surface using the guardian's speed and to evade the GINNS 76mm rounds.

"Where did that thing go?!" Miguel asked himself.

"Hey kid, take over! Get this thing working." Ortiz ordered as he grabbed Murrue out of the seat. Kira quickly complied and pulled out a keyboard.

"Wow this thing needs some serious reprogramming." Kira commented.

"Just do it kid. Don't worry about that GINN." Ortiz replied.

"Damn naturals!" Miguel cursed. "Show yourself!" He began firing blindly into the buildings in front of him. Then a black and red Mobile Suit popped out from behind a building and fired a quick burst.

23, 55mm, armor piercing rounds tore through the GINN. The GINN fell backwards into a building and demolished it.

"No response from the hydraulics." Miguel cursed himself, set the self destruct device, fired his thruster pack, and escaped.

**xxx**

Deep inside Morgenroete's mining shaft, Ensign Natarle Badgiruel slowly regained consciousness. She woke to a dead Earth Alliance soldier infront of her. Natarle threw up a little in her mouth. "The Archangel!" She gasped. Kicking off from the dead soldier, she glided over to what remained of the observation booth. There was wreckage and corpses all around. The Archangel was teetering in a precarious angle. Natarle glanced at the captain and the dead G pilots and felt the energy drain from her limbs.

"Ensign Badgiruel?" a voice called out.

Natarle spun around startled. Chief Petty Officer Neumann peeked around a corner with a flashlight in hand. "Neumann!" She exclaimed. She was happy that she wasn't the only survivor.

Before she could ask, Neumann stated, "Only a few of us who were aboard ship survived. All the factory workers are dead." He led the way back to the Archangel.

What few survivors there were gathered on deck. All of them were non-commissioned officers meaning Natarle, a mere ensign, was in charge of the ship.

She headed straight to the bridge and began flipping switches at the pilot's position. She was glad that all the ships systems were operating perfectly. "As expected of Archangel. She won't sink from this kind of damage."

Neumann looked out of the bridge's view port. "There is too much debris at the port. Were blocked in ma'am."

Natarle nodded in agreement and opened a communication channel. Electromagnetic chatter shot out from the speakers.

The static gave Natarle pause. If the Archangel was the true target then ZAFT soldiers would be storming the ship. But there was only the explosion. However, there is still N-Jammer interference so the attack must still be going on. "There not after the ship. They're here for the X-numbers!"

**xxx **

"I see you're wearing the new flight-suit."

"Amazing! What is it I called?"

"It's a VF-1R Valkyrie Veritech Fighter."

"Kira, were you piloting that other machine?"

"No, I just reprogrammed it so I can operate it."

"So you did pilot it! What's it called?"

"I don't know. Gundam I think."

"Gundam? What's a Gundam?"

"Bernard, get the smelling salt and your med pack. We have to wake these two up."

Strange voices drifted in and out. Murrue slowly regained conciseness. When she came to she found herself on a park bench with a female Moebius pilot next to her. The pilot seemed to be in shock.

Sitting up, she was surprised to see the Strike kneeling off to side with two other, strange units, that looked like a cross-between an F-14 and a mobile suit. Murrue brandished her pistol and fired into the air.

The shot woke the Moebius pilot out of her trance. "What is going on?" She asked.

"I have no idea." Murrue replied. "Name and rank please."

"I'm Ensign Hallo Gale of the Seventh Fleet, ma'am." The Moebius pilot replied.

"Not you. Them." Murrue stated pointing her gun at Ortiz and the pilots next to them.

"We'll talk about this later Bernard." Ortiz whispered. "I am Colonel Jack O'Neil of the SGC. This is Major Samantha Carter," he said pointing toward Ensign Langely.

"That is Daniel Jackson," pointing toward Private White.

"And he is Teal'c," gesturing toward Dr. Lang.

"Nice one sir. I remember that episode." Bernard whispered into the Captain's ear.

"SGC? Don't you mean U.N. Spacy?" Murrue countered, pointing her free hand toward the markings on one of the Veritech's legs.

She paused for a second as throbbing pain passed over her wounded shoulder.

"You should really let us check out that arm." Bernard stated.

Gale looked at Bernard curiously. She remembered that same baritone voice of his. It was the same voice she heard just before she blacked out after her Moebius was hit. "Wait, Lieutenant, I remember that man's voice. He saved when I was knocked unconscious a during the space battle outside."

Murrue looked at the Bernard. He had on a bulky flight suit, mostly colored white except for the large yellow and black stripped epaulets that covered the wearer's entire shoulder. The epaulets jutted out to a triangular point, giving the wearer broad looking shoulders.

Then she remembered how Ortiz, saved her life earlier. She lowered her gun saying, "Alright, but you have some explaining to do. You can start with this United Nations Spacy crap."

**Location: Armor-04, ARMD UES Ark Royal, Locker Room.**

"I love these new jumpsuits. They are so cool." Hayato commented on his new uniform. It was a cobalt blue, ribbed jumpsuit specially designed for the Spacy pilots. 'These uniforms must have been loaded onto the ship shortly before we left.' Amuro thought.

"Yeah and you get to wear them instead of our regular uniforms." Kai stead gleefully.

Amuro looked down and began to rub his circular flight insignia patch, located on the left breast. On the patch was a blue ribbon, shaped as the infinity symbol, indicating that he is a part of Ramillion Flight.

"We should head out to the rec. room. I think the Pink Princess should be done sing about now." Ryu surmised.

**xxx**

Ramillion flight entered the recreation room to find half of Wolf Squadron already there listening to Lacus sing. It was easy to tell who belonged to what squadron now because most the people present were wearing the new jumpsuits that had a rabid wolf head on their squadron patches.

Amuro and the rest of Ramillion flight paused, listening to Clyne's tranquil voice.

"In this silent night, I'm waiting for you

During that time, your smile has faded away

Now that a little time has passed,

Fond memories start to resurface…"

Then, the Stand By alert klaxon sounded. Pilots, mechanics, everyone basically rushed out of the room. Everyone, except Ramillion and Lacus.

"Miss Clyne, if you'll please come with me… I mean us." Kai stated as the room cleared out.

"What is going on?" Lacus asked in her sweet voice.

"Stand by alert. It's nothing to be worried about but just in case we'll escort you to your quarters." Hayato replied reassuringly as he handed Lacus' pink Haro to her.

As Lacus and Ramillion flight made there way toward Lacus' quarters the PA system called out. "General Quarters; all hands man your battle stations!"

"Battle stations!?" Ryu cried out.

"Miss Clyne we are going to need you to stay in your room until one of us gets you. Okay?" Amuro stated, trying to keep his cool. Lacus nodded and entered her room, wondering what is going to happen.

"Alright you hear the man, and you know the drill." Amuro declared. The four pilots rushed down the corridor, toward the hangar deck, not knowing what will happen next.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: The Empty Battlefield

Location: Outside Heliopolis

"Is there nothing we can do about the difference in our forces abilities?!" Mu La Flaga asked out, rhetorically. The Hawk of Endymion found himself alone, engaged by multiple ZAFT mobile suits. MU quickly targeted the GINN that shot down his transport and deployed his crimson gunbarrels. Leading the target La Flaga squeezed the trigger, deliberately taking out the GINNs assault rifle.

Pressing his advantage, the Hawk fired another volley, piercing the GINNs shoulder, tearing its arm off.

xxx

Loaction: Vesalius, bridge

"Aurol's unit is on emergency retreat. Fire-Prevention Team, to B-deck!" A crewman called out over the ship's intercom.

"Aurol was shot down?" Commander Le Creuset raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Captain Ades turned around with a perplexed look on his face. "In this kind of battle?"

Commander Le Creuset glided out of his chair, staring into space and spotted the Mobius Zero. He let out a laugh and headed for the rear hatch saying, "It seems that a somewhat irritating fly is still buzzing around. I better go out there and squash it myself."

"A laser beacon communication from Miguel Aiman. It's an emergency!"

"If the situation forced Miguel to abandon his unit..." Le Creuset paused, weighing his options quickly. He'd have to take care of the remaining earth forces mobile suit as well. "It's all the more reason why we can't neglect the last one."

xxx

Location: Outside Heliopolis

Three flares shot out form the Zaft ships signaling all remaining ZAFT mobile suits to fall back to their mother ships. Mu looked on in confusion, wondering why ZAFT wasn't pressing their advantage. Just then a bolt of light flashed before his eyes followed by a strange presence he felt once before. Turning his mobile armor to port Mu spotted a sliver-white CGUE closing fast on his position.

The Hawk quickly jinked out of the mobile suit's sights and skillfully slipped behind it. With his gunpods deployed, Mu fired from four different angles.

Creuset evaded, hissing over open comm channels, "You're always, always standing in my way Mu La Flaga! But perhaps that is how you feel about me?"

Mu instantly recognized the pilots' voice and signature style. "Bastard! Is that you Rau Le Creuset?!" The CGUE feigned attack and suddenly changed course for the port of Heliopolis.

xxx

Location: Mongenroete factory district

Captain Ortiz fumed over the situation he got his men into as he drove a trailer full of equipment back to the park where his veritechs were resting for the moment. Lieutenant Ramius sat next to him with her side arm in hand.

Murrue, noticing Ortiz's frustration, asked, "You know why I'm doing this Captain?"

"Yeah, sure, I saw the Earth Alliance's new mobile suit and until you receive orders on what to do I'm stuck here with you. Yes you explained it nicely after you pulled a gun on me and my crew." Ortiz's smirked a little and continued. "Hell, when that shot rang out I think that kid Kuzzey pissed his pants."

Murrue looked down apprehensively. She didn't ask for any of this to happen, but Murrue still had a duty to perform. She looked back at Ortiz, who was a little less angry than before. Wanting to take her mind off her situation Murrue decided to change the subject. "How did the U.N. acquire funding for a Spacy any how?"

"You honestly don't think that it costs 20,000 dollars for a hammer and 30,000 for a toliet seat do you?" Ortiz quipped. He felt the tension start to melt away in a odd sort of way. He soon realized that he wasn't angry with Murrue so much as he was angry with himself. One would think that being a former guerilla fighter during the Global War would have taught him a thing or two about underhanded tricks. He should have expected Murrue to pull a gun on him after he bandaged her arm. Yet there was something about Murrue that made Ortiz's guard go down; kind of like how his sister got him to do the same all those years back.

"Makes since Captain. I'm sorry." Murrue apologized, holstering her side arm.

"What are you doing?" Ortiz asked as he steered the truck around a street corner.

"Well, it's obvious that you aren't part of ZAFT since I doubt I'll still be alive. That and I believe you and your crew have saved my life, and what's left of the G-Project twice so far. I'd say that I've been pretty ungrateful." Murrue replied sincerely.

Ortiz looked at Lieutenant Ramius through his dark sunglasses wondering what she was trying to pull. "Why?" He asked.

"There is an old saying, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' I believe is how it goes. That and I was angry at myself for passing out during that fight with the GINN and when I came to and saw the teens fooling around inside the Strike I snapped and took it out on you." She confessed, biting her lip.

Ortiz was impressed by her confession and eased up a bit saying, "To tell you the truth, I'd probably would've done the same thing." Captain Ortiz then extended his right hand toward her. "Truce?"

Ramius took his hand and replied, "Truce, Captain Ortiz, but we are going to have to discuss this with my superiors."

"Don't worry, I'm sure if they don't agree you can always pull a gun on them and force them to agree." Ortiz wisecracked. Both let out a laugh as the reached the park. The kids and Ortiz's crew were still sitting on a park bench, sulking, while Ensign Gale stood watch over them. Ortiz quickly parked the truck behind the Earth Forces Mobile Suit and climbed out with Lieutenant Ramius.

"Ensign Gale, stand down. We won't have to guard 'em any longer. Captain Ortiz and I have come to an agreement." Murrue stated to her subordinate.

"Aye ma'am." Ensign Gale holstered her side arm.

Captain Ortiz turned toward Lieutenant Ramius and asked, "Can my crew have their side arms back?"

"Of course Captain." Murrue replied while instinctively putting her hand on her own side arm. Ortiz noticed the warning and emptied the clips from his crews pistol before redistributing them.

Once he was done Ortiz walked up to Bernard and asked, "So, how are you holding up?"

"Surprisingly well sir, considering we were being held at gun point by a person I saved. Other than that I'm just peachy."

"Of course," Ortiz replied. He looked toward the kids sitting on the park bench. They were just teenagers each with a sad expression on their faces. Ortiz's first priority was to get these teens out of the line of fire. "Okay here's the plan; First, get these teens to the nearest shelter, and out of harm's way. Second, we'll either escort the Earth Alliance Forces out of Heliopolis or force ZAFT to withdraw. Maybe, just maybe our intervention here will provide some leverage with Orb officials and later on acquire the materials we need to get back home. Are we in agreement?"

"Aye sir, it sound like a good plan." Dr. Lang commented.

BOOM!!! Suddenly, a mobile suit blasted its way through the central axial shaft followed closely by damaged mobile armor. The two units quickly locked in bizarre duel high above the bewildered group. Bernard and Nagase quickly rushed toward their fighters as the CGE dispatched the crimson mobile armor, forcing MU to withdraw from combat and make and emergency landing.

Commander Le Creuset quickly spotted the last remaining X-Number in a small park below him along with two other unknown units. "Damn," Creuset cursed himself. The Intel he received was off by a considerable margin. "No matter," He whispered as he sent his CGUE plummeting toward the X-Numbers.

Armor piercing rounds pounded the ground in and around the park forcing everyone to hit the dirt and take cover. A short burst from the CGUE ripped into Bernard's vertiech, knocking it over on its side. Kira, fearing for his friend's lives, leaped into action and climbed into the Strike's cockpit and began activating its systems.

"Nagase! Nagase!" Bernard tried to yell over the carnage. His Valkyrie was disabled and the CGUE was closing in for another pass, clearly targeting Nagase's veritech. Ensign Nagase quickly climbed into her cockpit and pulled hard on the lever marked B, switching her Valk from Guardian mode to Battloid mode. As the CGUE closed in for the kill, Nagase aligned her sights on the fast approaching mobile suit and squeezed the trigger.

The CGUE narrowly evaded, taking minor hits on its shield and returned fire. Nagase fired her thrusters and took the fight to the skies at the center of Heliopolis. the two machines quickly locked in a dizzying ballet, trading volleys with on an other.

Kira took this opportunity by opening the nearby trailer and loading the Strike's Launcher Power Pack on it's back. He began calling up data on the new weapons system on his screen when suddenly a ship of peculiar design blasted it's way into the colony's interior.

"The Archangel!" Murrue called out.

Several missiles shot out from the ship's stern, hurling toward both the CGUE and the Valkyrie. The two units broke off from one another, both attempting to shoot down the missiles aimed at them.

Kira hastily pulled out an alignment scope and acquired the CGUE in his crosshairs and pulled the trigger. A dizzying, thick beam of light shot out from the strike's long barrel rifle tearing off the CGUE's arm, and puncturing the colony's outer hull. Everyone froze, stunned at the Strike's display of power. It was truly beyond excessive. Kira shut down, the will to protect his friends gone, as the ZAFT suit fell back through the hole Kira formed in the outer hull.

xxx

Natarle ran down the Archangel's ramp and called out, "Lieutenant Ramius!"

The Strike along with the two Valkyries, which a moment ago Natarle mistaken for ZAFT machines, landed on the hangar deck. "I'm glad to see you and the Archangel, Natarle. You guys really save us out there." Murrue responded.

A trailer drove up the ramp and parked in front of the Strike soon a group of teenagers along with three older men climbed out of it. "Listen, I have something to tell the the captain concerning those gentlemen over there." Murrue stated to Ensign Badgiruel.

"Ah yes the captain. Ah Lieutenant I think..." The one the Valkyries transformed before Natarle's eyes from it's mobile suit format to a hybrid design much like it's damaged counterpart. She knew that one of the X-Numbers had this ability but it still caught her by surprise. Then the cockpit to the Strike opened up and instead of a Earth Forces pilot emerging from the machine, a young, timid looking teenager climbed out instead. Everyone of the surviving Earth Force personnel were astonished to say the least.

"Well, what a surprise!" A handsome blond man, in a purple pilots suit, sauntered up, grinning. "I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, of the Seventh Orbital Fleet. Very pleased to meet you." He winked at Murrue.

"Ah, uh, Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Fifth Special Division," she responded, amazed to meet the Hawk of Endyminion in person.

The three to them automatically saluted as the Valkyrie pilots climbed out of their fighters. "Requesting permission to board. The transport I was escort was shot down during the attack. Who's in charge of the Archangel?"

Natarle looked down, carefully composing her features. "I believe that Lieutenant Ramius is next in line for command."

That piece of news hit Murrue like a ton of bricks. She was used to recieving orders. Now she would have to give them. Ortiz over heard their conversation and said, "Well, Captain Ramius have you come to a decision regard me and my subordinates?"

"M-me?" She stammered.

"Who are you anyways?" Natarle asked the uniformed man.

"I'm Captain Emanuel Ortiz, United Nations Spacy, commanding officer of the Armor Reflex Missile Defender _Ark Royal_, at your service ma'am. And hold your questions until later. We still have ZAFT breathing down our necks. Lieutenant Ramius, permission to come aboard."

Ramius looked at both Ortiz and Mu saying, "Permission... granted to both of you."

Mu then turned his attention toward the young kid who piloted the Strike. The kid was talking to his friends and the other two pilots. They seemed to be consoling the kid telling him that it wasn't his fault for blowing a hole in Heliopolis. "You three must be coordinators right?"

The marines behind Mu cocked there rifles and trained them at the group. Immediately, Captain Ortiz and Tolle jumped in front of the group, arms stretched out.

"Stand down!" Murrue called out. The marines lowered their weapons easing the tension.

"Um, sorry I just asked out of curiosity." Mu tried to explain.

"Yeah, well curiosity damn near killed three cats!" Ortiz barked back with a clenched fist.

xxx

Archangel, Bridge

Captain Ortiz, Dr. Lang, Lieutenants La Flaga and Ramius along with Ensign Badgiruel sat around in the bridge. It was designed very differently compared the Ark Royal's bridge. It was more spacious with a center chair, mutiple postions handeling varoius systems and the ship's CIC was positioned just behind and below the group.

"Well it looks like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place." Captain Ortiz stated, surmising the situation in his mind.

Between the Earth Forces available assets and his own they had two heavily damaged mobile armors that won't be ready for several hours at the least, one combat worthy Valkyrie, a Valkyrie with stablelator damage and major lost of hydraulic fluid, and one mobile suit that can only be piloted by a 16 teen year old coordinator boy. And to make matters worse Heliopolis is on a level nine evac order which allows means the shelters are batted down tight incase they have to launch into space. So, the teens are stuck on this ship until this crisis is resolved.

"Yeah you can say that again. Everything depends on whether or not we can get the Strike operational. We might have to consider surrendering." Mu replied.

Murrue was taken back by the Hawk's comment and replied, "I have no intention of surrendering this ship or that mobile suit to ZAFT! This mission will go through!"

Captain Ortiz and Ensign Badgiruel nodded in agreement. "Of course captain you have my full support." Mu replied.

"Captain? Your the higher ranking officer Lieutenant Commander La Flaga. You should take command." Murrue stated.

"I may have senrioty but I know nothing about this ship. You should take command."

"And don't worry. I'll guide you through with you want." Ortiz added.

Murrue nodded, excepting Ortiz's much needed help. "Now what are we going to do about the Strike and it's pilot?" Natarle asked the group.

Dr. Lang took this as his cue and spoke up. "Well, I had a chance to look at operating system of this Strike. Apparently this Kira Yamato rewrote it in such a way that only he can properly operate it."

"Why don't we ask him to revert to the old system so that a natural can operate it as well."

"That would not be advisable. I saw the Strike in action with the old operating system at it nearly stepped on me and the other teens onboard. uh no offense ma'am." Dr. Lang stated. Murrue nodded, acknowledging the faults in old OS.

"That leaves only one option besides surrender. We'll have to convince Kira to enter the cockpit again." Ortiz observed.

"But we can't have civillians operating our most top secret machine!" Natarle objected. Ortiz in his heart agreed with her but for different reasons. He had an obligation to protect the innocent, but to do this he would need Kira's help.

"We have no choice Ensign Badgiruel. I think I should tell him personally." Murrue replied as she rose up out of her chair.

"I should be there too." Ortiz added, rising out of his chair.

xxx

Archangel, crew quarters

Kira adamantly objected. "Don't involve us in this war anymore than you already have!" Murrue looked away, trying to hide her distaste of this situation. Ortiz didn't like it either but he observed twice that when Kira's friends were in trouble, he would act to defend them.

"Kira can I talk to you privately?" Ortiz asked as he pulled the kid away for the group. Emanuel bent over and whispered into Kira's ear for a few minutes. When he was finished Kira shot a angry look at Ortiz and said, "Fine I'll do it!" He then walked on furiously to the hangar deck.

"What did you say to him?" Murrue asked.

Ortiz turned toward her and replied, "I told him that there is a level nine evac order in Heliopolis, so none of them would be going to a shelter any time soon, that and I told him that if if he didn't act in the next few minutes he maybe be marinating in a bunch of goo that a moment before was one of his best friends." Ortiz took off his command cap and smoothed out his hair. "I feel like such an ass right now."

The communication panel next them sounded. Murrue pushed the audio only button, "Lieutenant Ramius you are needed on the bridge at once. Mobile Suits approaching." Mu reported.

"All hands to level one battle stations. Can you get to your mobile armor commander?" Murrue replied.

"Negative. The repairs aren't complete." He reported

"Then please take charge of the CIC." The battle stations klaxon sounded as Murrue turn toward Ortiz. "I can use you on the bridge as well.

"Lead the way." Ortiz replied.

xxx

"Ensign Nagase, This is Captain Ortiz onboard the Archangel. You'll refer to me by the callsign Gunsight. You're cleared to launch Razgriz Two."

Nagase quickly checked the fighter's flaps, thrusters, and stabilizers before she throttled up. Once she was clear of the Archangel's linear catapult she shifted her veritech to fighter mode.

"Kira Yamato, don't be a hero. Survival is paramount. Don't worry Nagase will watch your back. Strike you're ready for launch" Captain Ortiz stated on the radio apprehensively. They all maybe asking to much of Kira.

As the Strike entered the linear catapult equipment racks opened up above and beside him, fitting the Strike with it's sword modification. The Strike hefted up a fifty foot sword before launching into Heliopolis. Kira looked at the Schwert Gewer, hoping these modifications won't prove as fatal to Helioplois as the last one.

The inertia Kira felt as he launched caught him off guard at first but he soon adjusted.

"This is Gunsight here. New heat sources detected. Confirmed, multiple GINN mobile suits on vector 038. They're pouring out of the hull breach." Kira listened carefully and heard some indistinct voices on the radio.

"Say what now?! Heavy demolition… Ah Razgriz two and Kira the enemy is currently equipped with long-barrel particle rifles and heavy missile launchers meant to storm a fortress. Exercise extreme caution." More good news Nagase thought to herself. She chuckled to herself. The captain was an amateur controller at best, but sincere and straight to the point.

"Wait, what's an Aegis? One of yours! One more additional unit approaching, it's one of the X-numbers that was stolen. Ballistic weapons are ineffective. Razgriz use your laser armament when engaged. You're all cleared to engage. And good luck!"

Nagase acquired four out of the seven mobile suits on her HUD and waited for the red brackets to lock on to the targets. BEEP! She was locked on. Six stiletto-medium range air to air missiles launched from their outer hard points, attempting to track their individual targets through the N-Jammer interference. The GINNs broke formation and easily evaded the missile salvo.

"Damn! I can't get a solid lock!" Nagase complained to herself. As she decelerated her warning klaxon sounded. A thick beam of light passed within meters of her cockpit and incinerated an axial shaft. What remained of the axial shaft crashed on the ground below kicking up large amounts of dirt and debris.

"I've got you know you damn piece of Earth Trash!" Miguel Aiman triumphantly declared as he closed in for the kill.

Kira screamed in frustration as missiles and particle weapons missed there marks, slamming into Heliopolis. Kira spotted Nagase and a GINN caught in a fierce duel. Every time the GINN fired it missed, causing even greater collateral damage than before. Fed up with the GINNs wanton use of it's firepower Kira closed in from behind, screaming. Slash! With one quick blow, the Strike sliced the GINN and half, its fuselage instantly exploding.

"Miguel!!!" Athrun screamed.

"Thanks for the assist Kira! I own you a drink!" Nagase stated on the intercom.

"Razgriz Two, take out those GINNs, they are doing more damage to the colony than us!" Captain Ortiz ordered.

Suddenly the red Aegis flew overhead and a familiar voice came over Kira's intercom. "Kira, Kira Yamato?"

Kira chocked back in surprise. "Athrun, Athrun Zala?"

"Oh, Kira it is you!" Athrun's voice sounded both surprised and sad. What was Kira doing in an Earth mobile suit.

The battle continued to rage in Heliopolis. Nagase acquired the nearest GINN with her short range, heat seeking, UMM missile ordnance and let a salvo of ten missiles. This time they shot straight and true, striking the GINN in mid-air. As the remnants of the GINN plummeted out of the sky its missile racks fired every last missile, each heading toward the Central Shaft.

The colony's backbone, the central shaft, gave way, twisting and warping in agony. The colony's outer hull began to crack under the pressure of it's own centrifugal force. Fissures erupted through out the colony, sucking the atmosphere out of Heliopolis. Below, the shelters ejected out into space along with loose debris that were once homes. The force of the suction flung the remaining mobile suits along various vectors away from the colony. The fighting ended, but at what cost?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Reinforcements**

**May 2030, UES Tristar, Calvary 2 Taskforce.**

"Sir, over 70 percent of the enemy Bioriods are in our fold bubble."

"The 3rd, 5th, and 11th tactical wings are not responding and the 7th is reporting heavy casualties!"

The _Tristar_ rocked from another blast, sending Major General Rolf Emerson to the floor. Many on General Emerson's staff, including Colonel Ace Green, and Colonel Rochel Antoinne, thought that this mission was a suicide mission, and it certainly seemed so right about now.

"Hull breach, section B, deck 3. Sealing bulkheads."

However, General Emerson had one ace in a hole. "Commence the Orbital Warp Blast maneuver!" Emerson ordered as he staggered to his feet.

The _UES Tristar _and the bulk of the attacking Bioroid force vanished in a brilliant orb of light.

xxx

January 19th, CE 70, _UES Ark Royal_

"What; what did you say?!" Commander Pham asked in disbelief. The captain's recon mission had gone sour. ZAFT was currently attacking Heliopolis and as far as Pham knew, the captain could be dead along with Dr. Lang. "Bring the ship to stand by alert! Ensign Noah, plot a course for L3 and head out at flank speed."

"Aye sir!" The crew responded. The stand by alert klaxon sounded as the ship slowly accelerated out of the shadow of an intact Island Two colony.

"Hold on Captain; we're coming," Commander Pham said to himself.

"Emergency! A small battle vessel has just materialized out of a fold operation and is headed directly towards us! Scanners detect a large number of enemy battle pods engaging it!" Ensign Maria Osyka called out.

"Confirmed sir! A small warship has just defolded on heading 180 mark 20 degrees, and is 50 kilometers out!" Ensign Knoll added.

Pham quickly jumped out of his seat and, looking over Knoll's shoulder, confirmed the data for himself. "The Zentraedi must exist in this universe as well. General Quarters; all hands man your battle stations!"

xxx

"Space fold, interrupt! Fail safes initiated!" The robotech engineer of the Tristar called out.

General Emerson sighed in frustration. The Orbital Warp Blast was supposed to have sent the enemy bioriods to another universe, not the _Tristar_ as well! Yet when he looked outside into space, Emerson could clearly see the Earth in the distance. Maybe, the _Tristar_ had merely traveled a short distance away from Calvary Two.

"Sir!" Colonel Antoinne was looking over the shoulder of the radar operator. "The bioroids are moving away! There are heading for another group of objects we haven't identified yet."

"Regroup what fighters we have left, and have the 15th squad man their Spartas. They are space capable right?"

"Yes sir, they are, but the 15th ATAC squadron doesn't have any experience in space! They'll be slaughtered!" Colonel Green pointed out.

"Sir, we've identified the bogeys as VF-1 Super Valkyries! They're IFF transponders match that of the _Ark Royal's_ air wing!"

"The _Ark Royal_!? Wasn't that an old Armor type space carrier that went missing?" Emerson asked rhetorically. Brilliant flashes of light began to flicker violently in the direction of enemy Bioroids, indicating a battle had started up.

xxx

"Got'em!" Hayato exclaimed. Ramillion, Wolf and Rapier Flights had quickly launched out to intercept the enemy units and had taken down most of the enemy battle pods in their initial missile volley.

"Don't celebrate so soon! Match their speed before firing at them. Now break formation and reverse acceleration!" Lieutenant Jack Archer ordered.

The Valkyrie squadrons broke formation in unison. The sudden change in velocity jolted Kia as he executed the retro-thrust maneuver. Kia's gaze quickly settled on his HUD to find his targeting computer locked onto three blue battliods. "Three of them! Alright." Kia fired a volley of missiles and two of the battliods vanished in brilliant orange detonations, but the respite was brief as three more hostiles began attacking from behind.

"I got them Kia!" Amuro called over the radio. Amuro quickly dispatched two of the enemy battliods with his gun pod, and closed with the third in battliod formation. The last hostile closed the range with Amuro's Valkyrie and tried in vain to punch him. Amuro countered by stabbing the battliods' head with his bayonet. "Three down!" Amuro reported over the comms.

"Wow!" Ryu said in disbelief.

"He's a freaking tactical genius!" Kia commented.

Both Ryu and Hayato spotted a red Battliod try to flee the area. Hayato quickly maneuvered to pursue the enemy.

"I can do that too!" Hayato commented, confident in his own combat capabilities. Hayato quickly fired a set of heat seekers at the last battloid. The crimson red slowly settled in Ryu's gun sight as it attempted to shot down the missiles careening toward it. As soon as he was locked on, Ryu squeezed the trigger and shot the enemy down. "Gotcha!" He cheered.

Xxx

"What's the status on the enemy warship?" Commander Pham asked. If the vessel was indeed Zentraedi, then he would have no choice but to destroy it before it tried a refold. No matter what, Commander Pham could not let the Zentraedi in this 'verse destroy another Earth.

"The vessel appears to be damaged," Ensign Murdock reported.

"Have Wolf squadron vector in with Rapier in support. We have to take out that ship before it refolds!" Pham ordered.

"Sir, I have an incoming transmission coming from the ship. It is also sending friendly IFF transponder codes!"

"Friendly IFF transponder codes? How can that be? Put the transmission on, audio only."

"_UES Tristar_ to _UES Ark Royal_, do you read, over?"

"UES… did Admiral Gloval send a rescue ship?" Ensign Osyka wondered out loud.

"Maybe, just maybe…" Commander Pham stated apprehensively.

Xxx

**Heliopolis air space, Earth Forces ship **_**Archangel.**_

Captain Ortiz stared out into space from the rear observation window. A wrecked elecar and sign post slowly floated by. No one had expected this to happen, not even ZAFT, Ortiz imagined.

"So this is where you've been hiding." Dr. Lang floated by next to the Captain. "Kinda reminds me of Macross Island."

Ortiz chuckled a little. The universe was full of irony. The debris surrounding the _Archangel_ reminded Ortiz of the photos that were taken after the SDF-1's little space fold mishap.

"Kira brought aboard a civilian life pod. Apparently, the pod's engines were damaged."

Ortiz merely nodded. He felt bad sending that kid out to fight, even if it couldn't be helped. Ortiz could only wonder what was on the boy's mind right about now.

"How's Razgriz one? Is the repairs complete?"

"Yes sir." Lang replied. "We had to jury rig a few components but it's operational. I'm sure we won't have to send out the Strike again."

"That's good." Ortiz replied. At east the kid wouldn't have to go out again.

"Oh, Lieutenant Ramius wants to see you again. They are trying to determine their next course of action."

"We'll, let's make sure it's one that benefits us as well," Ortiz stated as he glided out of the observation room.

Xxx

Captain Ortiz entered the _Archangel's_ bridge to find Murrue, Mu and Natarle discussing where they should go.

Natarle studied the space map closely and suddenly brightened. "Captain, what if we headed to the Port of Artemis?" Murrue and Mu turned toward her. "From this position, Artemis is the closes course to any friendlies."

"The Umbrella of Artemis, eh?" Mu stated, slightly unsatisfied. The _Archangel_ was Atlantic Federation property, while Artemis was a Eurasian military base. Luckily, the Eurasians were allies and would perhaps offer aid. "But the _Strike_ and this ship have not been announced. I mean, this ship is so new it doesn't even have friendly recognition codes."

"Nor do my Valkyrie veritechs," Ortiz added. The last thing Ortiz and his personnel on board the _Archangel_ needed was to be held captive in some backwater military base.

"But even if we plotted a straight course for the moon, you don't think we could possibly avoid a fight with ZAFT do you?" Natarle countered. "And to make matters worse, we launched with out securing any supplies… we're going to need those bad really soon, especially with the civilians aboard."

Murrue frowned. She was beginning to wish she wasn't the captain in this situation, but it could not be helped. "Unless any of you have a suggestion then…"

"I have one," Ortiz cut in. "My ship is currently holding station inside the L4 colony group. One of the reasons I chose to hide my ship there was the fact that it is isolated from the front lines. Also, if it's supplies you need, it's supplies I have."

"You have a ship?" Mu asked, stunned. Ortiz wasn't much older than himself, and it was highly unusual for a guy to be so young and have his own command.

"I wouldn't be much of a captain if I didn't have a ship. Besides, how do you think I maintain those Veritechs? On hopes and dreams?" Ortiz countered sarcastically.

Mu chuckled to himself. _I think I like this captain_.

"Another added bonus, if I may continue, that is?" Murrue nodded in agreement, thankful that Ortiz was around. "Well, considering that ZAFT has not doubt deployed its two ships to intercept us, from either going toward the moon or heading for Artemis. With our course heading taking us toward L4 we can avoid the little traps they most likely set up, and evade them completely without them even noticing it."

"How can you be sure?" Natarle asked, unconvinced.

"Well, with all this debris, we have lost track of the enemy, and naturally they have lost track of us as well. So," Ortiz floated toward the map and pointed out. "If I were the enemy commander, he's probably thinking that, the only viable option for us to escape this area of space, is to either head for Artemis, or the Moon with the shortest route possible. And since I have two ships, I would place them just outside the debris field on the shortest vector of travel. That way at least one ship will be able to intercept us."

Natarle was impressed with Ortiz's logical summation of the enemy's likely tactics. "I also suggest that we launch a decoy missile volley to keep the enemy guessing as to our position while we make our escape."

"Very well then. If there are no objections, then we will carry out Ortiz's plan." The two other officers nodded in agreement.

"It's a sound plan Captain Ortiz. A silent run to L4 should take about two days."

"Yeah, let's just hope our luck holds out until then," Ortiz commented as he glanced at the space map.

xxx

Archangel Hangar Bay

While the officers continued to paln their escpae, Kira and the others were checking out the with Ensign Nagase. Lieutenant Bernard and Nagase were explaining the VF-1R Valkyrie Veritech Fighter's Guardian mode. Nagase made it a point of letting Tolle hop inside the cockpit and put on the 'Thinking Cap' and then have him try to move one the Valkyrie's hands but he was having difficulty.

"I can't…"

"Relax Tolle, relax." Nagase said calmly. "The Interface will take a moment to recognize the new pilot and synchronize but once finished…oh dear, Tolle!" Nagase frowned at the most obscene gesture Tolle had just thought of.

Tolle was only focusing his thoughts to make a simple hand gesture. However, the hand gesture that pop into Tolle thoughts, involved the middle finger pointed upward while the rest folded back.

Smirks and held down laughs came from Tolle friends and the crew who were watching the demonstration.

"Sorry," Tolle said embarrassed, he could not understand why he thought of that particular hand gesture.

"That's ok Tolle, believe it or not that happeeds to me on my first try on the VF-1," Nagase replied.

"Yes I seem to remember that incident Nagase." Bernard added, trying to hold back his laughter.

"It just needs time to get use to, so just relax and don't be too tense and let the Interface synchronize with your mind." Nagase contiuned.

Tolle tried again, and this time, he got the hand move the way he wanted it with no problem once the computer finally sync with Tolle's neural network

"Wow this is amazing!" he said as he started to get comfortable with the VF.

Ensign Nagase continued to explain to Kira and others the features of the VF-1R possess, but in the middle of their discussion the PA system sounded up and it was Ensign Badgiruel announcing,_"ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO YOUR STATIONS, WE ARE LEAVING THE AREA IMMEDIATELY!"_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Reflections**

"Who would have thought, we would end up in an alternate universe only to be greeted by another allied vessel from the past! It's like out of some cheesy B-rated video!" Private Bowie Grant confessed as he hefted up his end of an especially heavy cargo container out of one of the Ark Royal's shuttles.

Corporal Louie Nichols was struggling with the other end of the container. "Yeah, it may seem a little far fetched. However, many scientists have theorized about the possibility of alternate universes parallel to our own. This incident just proves it."

The two reached the other end of the hangar bay and deposited the container at the drop off point. Not too far away was Private Sean Phillips, flirting with an officer from the Ark Royal. "There he goes again." Bowie sighed.

One would think that after being demoted from Lieutenant to Buck Private for the same reason would have taught Sean to avoid such situations, but this was definitely not the case. "Ensign Maria Osyka is it? It must be pretty lonely for such a cute girl to be cooped in a little bridge. You know if you want…"

"Private Phillips, attention!" Sergeant Angelo Dante bellowed out from behind the unwary private.

Phillips quickly snapped to attention saluting, "Sir!"

The 26 year old Sergeant walked up front of Sean and looked him over. "Lieutenant Marie Crystal and Lieutenant Denis Brown need a strong back, and, since the rest of the squad is on re-supply duty, I'm ordering you to help them out."

"Of course sir," Phillips replied half-heartedly. At least he could talk to Lieutenant Crystal a little more. He'd never really had the chance to see her when she left the hospital. He walked off, leaving Sergeant Dante alone with Ensign Osyka.

"So sarge," Corporal Nichols walked up to Dante, with Bowie in tow. "Have you heard anything on Zor or the Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, Zor seemed to collapse shortly after the Space Fold. Our fearless leader hasn't left his side yet." Sergeant Dante often wondered how such a ditzy girl like Dana could be made commander of the 15th squad, but looking back on past year, he was glad she was in command. Her tactical genius must have something to do with her half-zentraedi heritage he suppossed.

Xxx

_UES Tristar_, Sickbay

Zor's mind flooded with images: Pink flowers, a large crevasse, an explosion, falling in an endless void.

First Lieutenant Dana Sterling sat next to Zor, concerned for her newest squad mate's health. The young man was clearly in mental anguish. Perhaps his memory was returning. "Oh Zor," Dana put her hand up against his forehead, caressing it. "Please be okay."

Instantly, the young man with flowing purple hair jumped out of bed, covered in sweat. Dana looked into his eyes, stunned yet happy at the same. She speared him to the bed, hugging him a death squeeze. "Zor, never do that again. You scared me so much."

Zor tried to get out of her death grip saying, "Dana… can't… breathe!"

She quickly let go off him, her cheeks turning a bright red. "I'm sorry Zor."

"Dana, I finally know who I am! I'm a clone of the original Zor. The Robotech Masters; they must be stopped!" Zor climbed out of his bed, and quickly donned his uniform. Dana just stared as he put on his clothes, blushing uncontrollably now. She had never seen a grown man naked before.

Xxx

_UES Tristar_, bridge

Commander Pham entered the battered bridge of the _Tristar_. There were numerous charred consoles around the spacious bridge. A man in an exotic looking brown and khaki uniform turned to meet him. Pham recognized the two star insignia on the man's epaulets and quickly saluted. "Commander Pham, acting captain of the _UES Ark Royal_, sir."

General Emerson returned the salute and shook the commander's hand. "Thank you Commander, for the aid. We'll have a briefing session around 0500 hours. But until then, what can you tell me about our current situation?"

"Of course sir. Both of our ships are holding position at L4, near an alternate Earth. It appears both of our ships' fold drives malfunctioned and sent us here."

Emerson nodded. The news was a little hard to swallow. Emerson left just when his earth needed him the most."I'm afraid our fold drive not only just malfunctioned, but disappeared completely. Just like the SDF-1."

Pham cringed. The situation was going from bad to worse.

"But, I'm more worried about my ship's protoculture supply. We only have enough reserves for five months of noncombatant consumption, or three months combat operations." General Emerson sighed heavily. Unless they found an alternate power source soon, the _Tristar_ and its mecha compliment would be powerless. Maybe they could jury-rig some of the _Ark Royal's_ reflex power plants by that time.

"Protoculture? We finally got around to using it as a power source?" Pham had read some reports on possible protoculture applications before he'd left, but he hadn't imagined it would be possible to use it as a power source.

"Yes, most ships and mecha in the past decade… well, for you next decade, will be powered by protoculture. It's much more efficient than the reflex furnaces your ship and Valkyries use."

"Interesting; Dr. Lang recovered several protoculture seeds from the wreck of the SDF-1. I wonder if…"

Private Zor burst into the bridge with Dana fast behind him.

"General Emerson," Zor stated, saluting. "I heard what happened to the ship. I'm a afraid I have some very bad news."

"It'll have to wait until the briefing, Private Zor."

Xxx

_Archangel_, crew quarters.

The students from Heliopolis sat around, watching Kira sleep deeply on the adjacent bed. The circumstances they found themselves in were inconceivable. Heliopolis had been destroyed; their homes gone in an instant. They didn't even know if their parents were alright, and now they found themselves onboard an Earth Forces warship.

Flay watched Kira sleep, her facial expression both aghast and intimidated. "So, he's a Coordinator?"

"I'm amazed that he can sleep at all," Sai replied.

"He must be worn out," Miriallia said. "I can only imagine how hard it was for Kira to fight."

Kuzzey chuckled to himself. "A hard time eh? The things he did out there… they're not hard for a person like Kira."

"Whatcha mean Kuzzey?" Tolle pressed.

"Nothing," Kuzzey replied defensively. "But… Dr. Lang said Kira rewrote the Gundam's OS. Now when did he do that? He did it during the fight." Everyone but Flay had seen Kira fight. The Strike Gundam had transformed under Kira's piloting. Tolle and Miriallia both knew he was a Coordinator. It was the reason why professor Kato gave Kira the most challenging assignments. Kuzzey continued his line of reasoning. "Coordinators find all that kind of stuff easy. Everyone in ZAFT is a Coordinator."

Kuzzey glanced at Kira, and added, "Do you think the Earth Forces have a chance?"

"Kira Yamato to the Hangar! Kira Yamato to the Hangar!" The intercom announced.

Kira blinked sleepily. "What now?!" He asked himself as he walked out of the room.

"I don't know, but those Valkyries sure can tip the scales," Tolle replied after Kira had left, pleased with himself.

"Sticking a middle finger doesn't count Tolle," Sai joked.

"Hey, I got used to it after a while. Besides, did you see Nagase pilot that fighter? It was amazing, and she's a natural!" To Tolle, sitting in that cockpit was a fan boy's dream come true.

"I wonder why they asked Kira to the bridge," Kuzzey asked out loud.

"Probably to fight," Sai mumbled. The students bowed their heads.

"Tolle," Miriallia tugged on his elbow. "Are we just going to let Kira protect us?"

Tolle had been thinking about that question ever since he'd held the controls of Nagase's fighter. "You're right Mir. Who's in?" Tolle stood up and looked at the rest of the students. They nodded one by one and, without saying anything, they made their way to the bridge.

Xxx

Ensign Gale floated over Lieutenant Bernard, who was inspecting his repaired VF-1R. "Lieutenant Bernard…" Dick Bernard turned around and noticed Gale's rosy cheeks. "I'd like to thank you for saving my life. I'm sorry for pulling a gun on you."

Bernard nodded. "That's alright ensign. If our roles were reversed I would have done the same thing."

Gale scratched her head saying, "But it still doesn't make it right."

"No, it doesn't. Apology accepted," Bernard stated along with a reassuring smile.

"Does your unit need to recharge?"

"No, my Valkyrie's energy reserve is at acceptable limits," Bernard stated. He was glad that the captain had ordered his crew not to make any mention of the exact workings of the veritechs fighters to the Earth Forces crew. Who knew what would happen if the Earth Forces officers caught wind of the Valkyrie's technological advances.

"Okay, thank you again Bernard," Ensign Gale replied. She quickly glided over to the inactive Strike where Kira and several Earth Alliance officers were talking.

Xxx

Captain Ortiz gazed out into the vast vista of space from the rear observation room of the _Archangel_. He wondered how is XO would react once they reached L4. In a way, he was glad that he was the CO instead of Pham.

"Am I disturbing you?" A voice called from behind.

Ortiz turned to see Ensign Badgiruel hovering near the door frame. "No, not at all ensign." Natarle floated next to the captain and took off her command hat, smoothing her short, jet black hair. "So, what brings you here, deputy commander?"

"I'd like to thank you, personally, for your assistance Captain Ortiz. If you hadn't shown up when you did, who knows what would happen." Ortiz gazed into Natarle's violet colored eyes, sensing the sincerity in her statement. "So, how did such a young man gain his own command?"

Ortiz smirked a little. "I was the most logical, illogical choice," he replied cryptically.

Ensign Natarle Badgiruel gave him a confused look. "Oh, how so?"

Ortiz turned to face her. "Well, instead of recruiting a veteran captain and attract unnecessary attention, they trained a former enlisted man slash guerrilla fighter and trained him and a few others extensively in space combat."

"Others?" Natarle asked.

Ortiz grinned wide and said, "You'll see in a few days. Until then, if you'll excuse me." Ortiz glided off the observation room, leaving Natarle slightly puzzled.

Xxx

Two shuttles launched from the _Ark Royal_ and the _Tristar_; one Star Goose shuttle was laden with medical supplies and food stuffs for Heliopolis. The other was a Pegasus assault shuttle, equipped to the defend the convoy with it's own armament of three laser turrets and a complement of six Logan veritech fighters.

General Emerson and Commander Pham found it neccesary to launch a rescue attempt, and assingned Lieutenant Matilda Ajan to lead the convoy from the Star Goose.

Lieutenants Dana Sterling, Marie Crystal, and a few other members from the 15th squad manned the Pegasus. This joint operation, between the Army of the Southern Cross and United Nations Spacy, main objective is to aid Heliopolis and rescue Captain Ortiz and Dr. Lang if that was at all possible.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Requiem of a Hope**

**UES **_**Tristar**_**, Conference room**

Commander Pham, Ensign Osyka and Hal 9000 sat opposite of General Emerson, his senior Colonels and a lone private in the Tristar's briefing room. Colonel Antoinne bitterly said, "So private Zor, if what you said is true, then there is no way for any of us to return."

It was all a little hard to believe for everyone sitting in the briefing room. How can this young man be the clone of the very man responsible for bringing so much strife? Now this visibly angry young man was telling the command crew that there will be no return. That not only did he program the SDF-1's main gun to fire at Zentraedi, the Robotech Master, and these Invid ships he kept referring to, but that he also programmed the SDF-1's fold drive to malfunction on purpose, and it was this same program that was unknowingly implemented in the Ark Royal's, and Tristar's Fold Drive calculations.

"Has this incident ever been documented by the Robotech Expedition? If what Zor said is true why haven't the expeditionary forces simply vanished?" Colonel Green asked aloud.

"Well the Expeditionary Forces reused the fold systems recovered from the many wrecked Zentraedi warships laying around in Earth's orbit. However, both the Ark Royal and several Southern Cross ships, including the Tristar, used earth made fold drives that were stored at Moon Base Luna. Apparently our engineers used the exact specifications of the SDF-1 to build them. I remember Exedore making that point shortly after the Ark Royal disappeared." General Emerson chuckled to himself in grief. He wondered if this is how Admiral Gloval felt after discovering the bobby trap in the SDF-1's main gun firing sequence.

"You were certainly thorough Zor. If you weren't the clone of that genius I would kiss you." Colonel Antoinne commented sarcastically.

The frustrated private slammed his fist on the table. He felt betrayed by the masters, and regret that the original Zor, unknowingly, had brought so much strife to earth, a place Zor Prime would like to have called home.

Pham looked on at the distraught man. He could only imagine what was going through his mind. "If we can't return to our own Earth…." Pham paused, not wanting to accept what Private Zor stated. "H-How do we proceed? The Earth in this universe is at war with itself right now"

"Are you suggesting that we make no attempt to return, and live some sort of life here?" Colonel Green pressed.

"I don't know," Colonel Antoinne interjected. "Considering how Supreme Commander Leonard sent us on a suicide mission… perhaps living here isn't a bad idea."

"So you're saying that we should just abandon our earth for this one?"

"Why not? If we can't go home we might as well set up shop here."

"Gentlemen," General Emerson silenced his senior staff. "We are not abandoning anything, but if we can't return home as Zor Prime stated, then I see no useful alternative than to settle on this Earth. However, if we are going to work on that assumption we must first acquire as much needed information on the current situation of this Earth."

"Of course sir," Ensign Osyka spoke up. "Our android, Hal 9000, has put together a working database on the current political, domestic, and military status on all nations of this Earth. However, since we have been using only our passive scanners, and the information is incomplete."

"Then please proceed to show us what you have at the moment then and we'll work things through from there."

"Yes sir"

_**Ark Royal**_

The Shuttle Solaris taxied on to its holding position inside the interior flight deck of the Ark Royal. Lieutenant Murdock and a squad of marines stood ready as the Solaris' hatch opened up.

"Let me go! Where are you taking me! Where am I?" A man was escorted, by Sergeant Beck, out of the shuttle.

"So, is this spy Lieutenant Riber reported?" Murdock asked as his marine contingent took custody of the Man.

"Yes sir," Sergeant Beck replied while saluting. The rest of the recon group exited the shuttle along with Lieutenant Commander Miho Kitagawa, and Lieutenant Riber.

"Is Commander Pham at the bridge?" Miho asked Murdock.

"No, the commander is aboard the allied vessel, the Tristar. I believe it's under the command of a certain General Rolf Emerson."

"Rolf Emerson!" Kitagawa inquired. When she was organizing the Monument City self defense force, Miho put a Colonel Rolf Emerson in charge of its defense force. Did Admiral Gloval send him to rescue the Ark Royal?

"Yes," Murdock replied. "We at first thought they were a Zentraedi scout ship, but, upon closer examination, the Tristar seems to be stranded in this universe as well."

Miho's heart sunk as the officers made their way out of the flight deck. She wondered if she'll ever see her earth again.

**xxx**

Ensign Amuro Ray, after taking a well deserved shower, was about to enter his quarters when he heard a strange mechanical voice call, "_Hello, hello._"

'_Must have forgotten to turn off my Haro'_ Amuro thought to himself. Amuro entered the room while drying off his hair, and was surprised to find Ms. Lacus sitting in front of his monitor playing a video game.

"Ah, Miss Clyne!" Amuro quickly rushed to bed and hastily got into a pair of pants lying near by. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I'm sorry Amuro. I couldn't go to sleep so I thought me and mister pink could keep your Haro company. Then I saw you had a game still in play and I tried to turn it off but…"

"You got sucked in." Amuro finished.

"Yes I did," Lacus replied, concentrating on the game. "I must say this pikachu is really cute."

"Yeah," Amuro commented, slightly embarrassed.

"I knew it!" Kai's voice screamed out from behind the door.

Amuro rushed out to find Kai, Hayato, and Ryu snickering among themselves outside his door. "Okay, pay up Ryu. I won the bet." Kai added.

"Okay you three leave right now. That's an order!" Amuro exclaimed, pulling rank on the three.

"Oh, come on Amuro all we wanted to do was celebrate our little victory today, but I guess you're celebrating with Lacus instead!" Hayato egged on, wagging his eyebrows.

"It's nothing like that!" Amuro stated in self defense.

"Oh, and I suppose your clothes decided to come off you by themselves." Ryu pointed out.

Amuro quickly pulled his trousers up, blushing form embarrassment. "Fine, you guys can come in but don't treat her with disrespect or I'll have you on report."

"Of course," The three pilots replied as they pulled out some small wine coolers from their pockets.

_**Archangel**_

Kira made his way back to the crew quarters with a blue and white Earth Alliance flight suit in his hands. La Flaga pointed out that even with two mobile armors, and the two Valkyries aboard there was still a good chance that the Archangel will sink if Kira refused to pilot the Strike. And from what Kira heard in the news reports, he had no choice but to agree. However, Kira did not want to fight. He especially didn't want to die, and he didn't want to kill other people as well, but he didn't want his friends, or the civilian refugees to die because of him. The situation was way too confusing.

As Kira turned a corner, he stopped short. His fellow classmates walked toward him, wearing Earth Alliance uniforms. One of the officers was escorting them to the bridge. "Tolle… Sai… Kuzzey, what are you doing in those uniforms?"

"They said if we are going to work in the bridge, we need to wear these." Kuzzey spoke up.

"Work on the bridge?" Kira didn't understand.

"Yeah, we thought we'd help out," Tolle began to explain. "The crew is short handed right now? I'm sure we'll be able to handle the computers and stuff."

"I still think ZAFT uniforms are cooler," Sai complained. "We don't even have an insignia."

Officer Chandra rolled his eyes. "Alright wise guy, let's go."

Kira just stared on, dumbfounded. "If you're gonna risk your life to protect us, we might as well help out." Miriallia added enthusiastically.

Kira didn't have anything to say. For once he didn't feel alone.

_**Zaft Ship Vesalius**_

Commander Rau Le Creuset gazed at the situation table. He was sure that the 'Legged Ship', the impromptu code name for the new Earth Alliance ship, would head for Artemis. _'Perhaps the heat source that was heading for the moon wasn't a decoy after all.'_ He thought as the Vesalius headed towards the moon to join the Gamow, when they received a message from them.

"The Gamow still hasn't picked up anything yet, Commander." Captain Ades reported.

The Gamow is positioned near the heading towards the Moon and there was no sighting of the Legged ship either. Ades knew they should've investigated that single heat source heading towards L4 when they found no sighting of the Legged Ship heading for Artemis. Commander Creuset was adamant that they would choose either Artemis or the moon, and choosing to go to L4 made no sense to him as it was too long a route to take to get to any allied territory. But now it seems he made a mistake.

The communications officer handed a printout of a communiqué to Captain Ades.

"The PLANT Supreme Council is recalling us!" Ades handed it off to Le Creuset.

The blonde coordinator glanced at it. "I suppose the Supreme Council is utterly confused about the destruction of Heliopolis," Creuset chuckled. "Well, it can't be helped. Have the Gamow set up station between the L3 and L4 colony groups. I'm sure they will attempt to orbit the Earth first and then make their way to the Moon. Hopefully, they can catch up."

"Aye sir." Ades replied.

Le Creuset was deep in thought as he left the bridge of the Vesalius. The council would no doubt ask him why he attacked a neutral colony in the first place. However, he remained indifferent and detached since the destruction of Heliopolis in no way measured up to the Bloody Valentine tragedy. The council will see things his way.

**xxx**

"Rusty, Miguel." Athrun said to himself, lost in thought. He had lost two good friends in this latest operation. And now, a good friend from his early child hood, Kira Yamato, was fighting for the Earth Forces. It didn't make sense. Why would a coordinator, like Kira, fight for the Earth Forces, especially after Junius Seven. The situation just didn't add up.

_**Archangel**_

Beep, Beep. Petty Officer Pal quickly looked at the radar screen. Two high speed blips entered the Archangel's radar range. Their ingress route followed the Archangel's flight path exactly. "Ma'am,"

Lieutenant Ramius turned toward Pal. "Yes, Officer Pal."

"I have two heat sources approaching from the L4 colony group. Distance 300."

"We won't be inside L4 for another day and a half. Have Captain Ortiz report to the bridge. Go to level two battle stations." Murrue ordered.

Archangel Hangar bay

_"Level two battle stations! I repeat we are in level two battle stations! Captain Ortiz to the bridge, Captain Ortiz to the bridge at once."_

"Wonderful," The captain grumbled to himself as he kicked off toward the nearest corridor. "Bernard, Nagase, don't let me down out there!"

"Sir, can I have my iPod back? I want to finish listening to Minmei."

"Yeah, sure Nagase." The captain chucked the iPod at Nagase as he departed.

xxx

"Checking registry… not listed!" Crewman Tonomura stated outloud.

Captain Ortiz entered the bridge of the Archangel and settled next to the center chair. "Situation report, Lieutenant Ramius."

"We have two bogeys heading for us at high speed. They apparently came from L4."

"Oh Pham, you magnificent son of a bitch!" Ortiz grinned. "Where's your communications post?"

Murrue pointed to the station just above her to the left. Ortiz glided over and picked up the receiver when the students came rushing into the bridge. Ortiz was surprised to see them all wearing Earth Alliance uniforms.

"You're all late." Natarle barked out.

"Sorry," The students replied as they took their stations.

"What are these kids doing in uniform?" Ortiz asked.

"They volunteered to help out with the ship's operations. This is only temporary, I assure you." Murrue replied. Ortiz wondered if he let the genie out of bottle when he convinced Kira to fight.

"Okay," Ortiz uncomfortably replied. "Kuzzey, please use this frequency and this confirmation code when you hail those ships." he handed Kuzzey a piece of paper.

"What if those ships are with ZAFT? We'll be giving away our position." Natarle objected.

"Then we go to battle stations, Ensign. We do have four combat capable fighters and this ship." Ortiz replied, coolly and precisely.

"I'm getting something!" Kuzzey said enthusiastically. He was handling his station just fine now.

"Put it on." Murrue ordered. Everyone on the bridge gathered around and looked on at the main view screen just above the front view ports. A stunningly beautiful woman with short red hair and large, khaki command cap, not dissimilar to that of Ortiz's showed up on screen smiling.

_"Lieutenant Matilda Ajan, Star Goose supply core. Captain Ortiz is that you?"_

"Yes Lieutenant. I'll fill you in once you dock. Ortiz out." Things were finally starting to look up.


End file.
